Iveco and MND Victoria

In-depth

24 Sep

Efforts to find a cure for Motor Neuron Disease (MND) have certainly grown in recent years thanks to inspirational former AFL footballer and coach, Neale Daniher, but in the meantime a lot of support is needed for people already living with the disease.

‘Until there’s a cure, there’s care’ – is the apt motto of leading support charity, MND Victoria. For those battling MND, the organisation offers counselling and advisory services, access to support groups, home modifications and equipment loan services.

It’s the latter of these that’s seeing two IVECO Daily 35S vans, crisscrossing the state and border regions delivering items including powered wheelchairs, electric beds, hoists and other equipment to those in need.

“MND Victoria has 55 different equipment types available for loan, to help make every day living a little easier for those affected by MND,” explained MND Victoria General Manager – Community Engagement, Daniel Woodrow.

“Depending on when the request is made, we can dispatch equipment quite quickly, sometimes within the same day. The vans are on the road every weekday and if there’s an urgent request, will also work on weekends.”

**Operating from a facility in Ringwood Melbourne, the vans are kept busy, delivering equipment throughout Victoria and into the border regions.**

Both of the charity’s IVECO Daily vans are car licence models powered by 2.3l Euro6 diesel engines and coupled to IVECO’s popular 8-Speed Hi-Matic fully automatic transmission; each van has a volume capacity of 12m³. The first Daily entered service last year and the second only recently thanks to the fundraising efforts of the generous Broughton family, in memory of loved one, Jane.

Daniel said that MND Victoria having its own fleet had made a big difference to the charity’s efficiency and its overall ability to service its clients.

“We previously relied on a third party to deliver and collect equipment, and this wasn’t allowing us to be as timely as we would have liked. The IVECO Dailys give us speed of delivery and we’re not reliant on others,” Daniel said.

Operating from a warehouse facility in Ringwood in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, the Dailys deliver far and wide encountering urban, metropolitan and regional road and traffic conditions as part of a normal day’s work.

**The Dailys' high roof and 12m³ volume capacity provides ample space for equipment including wheelchairs, hoists, electric beds and other.**

Having staff members with shared roles behind the wheel of the vans rather than professional drivers meant selecting vehicles that were user friendly as well as practical, according to Daniel.

“Choosing a model that was easy to manoeuvre and drive both on country roads and through narrower city streets was important, as was its comfort, appointments and general ease of use.” he said.

“The Daily vans are also considered very safe and come equipped with all the necessary driver alerts, enhancing overall safety and providing peace of mind. From a practicality standpoint the load capacity is perfect for what we do, the high roof also allows us to stand up in the back and both vans have proven to be fuel efficient.”

Both vans were purchased from and are maintained by Prestige IVECO, who Daniel said had provided an excellent purchase experience.

“The team at Prestige IVECO was fantastic to work with. Our sales consultant, Hayley Bedford, was highly responsive and promptly addressed all our queries both through email and in person,” Daniel commented.

**The most recent Daily purchase was made possible thanks to the fundraising efforts of the generous Broughton family, in memory of loved one, Jane.**

About MND Victoria

MND Victoria has focussed on care and support programs to improve the lives of thousands of Victorian families impacted by MND for the last 43 years. We are the only not-for-profit organisation providing direct care to all Victorians living with the devastating disease, at no cost to them.

For more information on MND Victoria, visit www.mnd.org.au