M6toll donates £40,000 to deserving causes

M6toll operator, Midland Expressway Ltd (MEL), has donated £40,000 to charities, Ronald McDonald House Birmingham and the Midlands Air Ambulance.

MEL’s annual ‘Drive for Charity’ initiative has funded a range of charities and projects during the past 13 years, and this year’s £40,000 generous donation will be split between the two deserving causes.

The money will support the work of Ronald McDonald House, which annually helps more than 7,000 families, while the donation to the Midlands Air Ambulance will enable the helicopter rescue service to continue with its life-saving work. The service, which is reliant on donations, attended more than 2,000 emergency call-outs last year.

Libby Aston, House Manager, Ronald McDonald House Birmingham, said: “We’re delighted to have been chosen for the [MEL] Drive for Charity initiative, which will help us to support families who are going through the toughest times.

“As part of an independent charity, we rely on support to run our Houses and build new ones, and every penny really does make a difference and ensures that we can continue to support sick children and their families, every step of the way.”

The donation to Ronald McDonald House Birmingham will go towards revamping the playroom and games room used by children and older teens. It will also support the upkeep of the House’s outdoor space.

Staff from M6toll will get involved in the design and the refurbishment of the rooms.

Midlands Air Ambulance will be using the donation to support its day to day operational costs – it costs the service around £2,500 every time the Air Ambulance attends an incident.

James Hodson, director of motorway operations for Midland Expressway, said: “Our Social Committee and the wider M6toll team are extremely proud to be able to offer both monetary and voluntary support to charities like Ronald McDonald House Birmingham and Midlands Air Ambulance.

“We feel that our donations this year were so very deserving of our support, and are proud to announce our sponsorship for the year 2017-18.”