Defender extends British Red Cross partnership to 2029

Defender and the British Red Cross have extended their humanitarian partnership until 2029, continuing a relationship that dates back more than seven decades.

The latest agreement will mark 75 years of collaboration between the two organisations. Their work has included helping communities affected by disasters and emergencies in the UK and around the world through vehicles, technology, skills and funding.

The partnership can be traced back to 1954, when a specially adapted Series I Land Rover was put into service as a mobile dispensary by the British Red Cross in the deserts of Dubai. Since then, Defender says its humanitarian programmes have helped more than 2-million people in 50 countries through flagship projects and disaster and emergency response.

As part of the extended partnership, the British Red Cross and other Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations will have access to Defender vehicles built to a new NGO specification. The range comprises the Defender 110 PHEV, Defender 110 D250 and Defender 130 D250.

Defender developed the NGO specification in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), with the vehicles configured to combine off-road capability, functionality and technology for use in demanding environments.

The vehicles can be specified with the British carmaker’s Driver Assist system, as well as Standard and Advanced Off-Road packs. The aim is to provide Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers with vehicles capable of operating in a variety of terrains, including areas that are difficult to reach using conventional vehicles.

Vehicle deployment will form only part of the renewed partnership. Defender will also provide funding for volunteer and health worker training, infrastructure projects, education and cash-assistance programmes.

The initiatives will focus on strengthening communities’ ability to prepare for and recover from long-term challenges, including flooding in the UK and the effects of climate change in Nigeria.

Defender said it will increase its contribution to the British Red Cross Disaster Relief Alliance (DRA), of which it is a founding member. The fund works with local teams to help communities prepare for emergencies, respond more quickly when disasters occur and recover afterwards, with an emphasis on preparedness rather than relying solely on funding once a crisis has already occurred.

During the most recent phase of the partnership, Defender says, its flagship projects reached 134,196 people through disaster-preparedness programmes. Its employees also raised £180,600 (R3.95m) through staff giving, while 560 employees received life-saving first-aid training.

For the next phase, Defender expects to directly support more than 100,000 people. Its workforce will again contribute through fundraising, skills-sharing and first-aid training, including activities intended to benefit their own local communities.