As sponsors of the Newcastle Falcons rugby club, Hitachi Construction Machinery UK have teamed up with Synergy Hire to raise funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. Started by former player for the Falcons, and Motor Neuron Disease sufferer Doddie Weir, who sadly lost his battle with the disease late last year.
The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was setup in 2017 after Doddie was first diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease. From the outset Doddie vowed to help fellow sufferers and seek ways to further research the currently incurable disease. The official launch of the fundraising coincides with the game between Newcastle Falcons and Southern Knights on Saturday 11th February, that has now become a fans favourite fixture in honour of Doddie. Several HCMUK volunteers will be helping to fundraise for the foundation at the game, alongside the machine that forms the main drive of the campaign.
Hitachi Excavator Raising Money
HCMUK have designed and branded a Hitachi ZX130LCN-7 13 tonne class excavator in the famous Doddie tartan and this unique machine will be on display at the upcoming game, where spectators can get up close and donate on the day.
The fundraising will continue long after the 11th February as the machine will join Synergy Hire’s fleet, where they have committed to contribute a proportion of the rental income from this ZX130LCN-7 to the charity each quarter.
David Roberts, CEO at HCMUK commented, “Hitachi Construction Machinery UK have a long history with Newcastle Falcons and so we are very aware of how celebrated Doddie is at the club, and the legacy that he has left. Following the sad news of Doddie’s passing last year we were unanimous in our decision to support the My Name’5 Doddie foundation in 2023, not least to support the charity’s vision of “A World Free of MND” which we can all get behind. In partnership with our sister company Synergy Hire, we are sure that many customers around the UK will want to hire the machine, not only to contribute to the charity but to have this eye-catching machine working on their job site.”
Garry Orr, Director of Operations at Synergy Hire commented, “We are so proud to be associated with this cause. MND is a devastating illness so when we were approached about getting involved, we jumped at the opportunity to assist in helping to raise awareness. By donating a proportion of our hire revenue for this machine, we will boost the fund whilst keeping the honour of Doddie alive in the hope of finding a cure. Doddie’s tartan livery on the rear of the machine is instantly recognisable and will be a major talking point on job sites.”
Kate Hindhaugh, communications director at Newcastle Falcons also commented, “It’s great to have the Hitachi team on board supporting us for the Doddie Weir Memorial game against Southern Knights. As one of our key sponsors it’s fantastic to be able to work together on something like this. The digger looks amazing and it’s a pleasure to have the team on site supporting our on the day fundraising efforts.
“We’re really looking forward to the game on Saturday and seeing all our staff and supporters come together and raise money for such an incredibly important cause.”
