A team of 36 apprentices have combined their engineering skills to build a unique machine which is set to raise thousands of pounds for charity.
The group has made a cutting-edge JCB 525-60E electric Loadall from scratch which will be auctioned off in aid of the company’s Platinum Jubilee NSPCC Appeal. And the machine has been given a distinctive look thanks to 20 pupils from two Stoke-on-Trent schools, whose handprints have been incorporated into in a special vinyl wrap on the bonnet.
The involvement of youngsters from the Ormiston Horizon Academy and St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy – both based in the Tunstall area of the city – is designed to highlight the project’s theme that ‘every childhood is worth fighting for’. It also cemented a long link with the Potteries’ town and JCB because it was the Tunstall branch of the charity that benefitted from JCB’s first ever big fundraising drive for the NSPCC in 1988 when the company and its employees raised £250,000. The proceeds from the latest appeal will support the work of Carole House, the NSPCC Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme named in honour of Lord Bamford’s wife Carole.
Lord Bamford, JCB Chairman said, “JCB is extremely proud of its long-standing support of the NPSCC; it’s a charity which is very close to my family’s heart. Every child deserves to grow up in a loving and caring environment and that is something JCB and its employees have been fighting for over the past 36 years through our support of the NSPCC.”
He continues, “I am delighted to see so many of our apprentices working together on this wonderful project. Drawing on their individual talents, our apprentices have demonstrated the very best of what JCB represents – teamwork, a commitment to quality and striving for excellence.”
Apprentice Nihal Dhillon – who won the Rising Star of the Year Award at the 2021National Apprenticeship Awards – has led the project with colleague Jake Hallas. Nihal said: “It has been fantastic to work on this project knowing it will help young people in Staffordshire. JCB has supported the NSPCC for nearly 40 years now and I’m proud to be part of the new generation of employees continuing the great fundraising work which has been done in the past.”
Peter Mucklow, Director of Apprenticeships at the Education and Skills Funding Agency, attended the unveiling of the machine. He said: “I am delighted to start the celebrations for National Apprenticeship Week with JCB, an enlightened employer with a great leadership story – in terms of its apprenticeship engagement and commitment. And the JCB Platinum Jubilee Appeal Loadall project visibly demonstrates the ingenuity, innovation, and excellence from the team of 36 apprentices.”
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “This project has been fantastic! It has truly highlighted the great partnership we have with JCB across Stoke & Staffordshire. We’d like to thank JCB for its terrific support during this project and throughout the jubilee appeal.”
As part of the project, the team also built an electric power pack, which provides on-site charging for JCB’s range of electric machines. This will also be auctioned off for the Appeal.