Barloworld Handling supplied the Hyster J1.8XMT electric forklift on a free, long-term rental deal.

Barloworld Handling has supplied UK charity Help for Heroes (H4H) with a new forklift for its warehouse and logistics operation in Downton, Wiltshire.

The Hyster distributor supplied the Hyster J1.8XMT electric forklift on a free, long-term rental deal with only a small monthly charge for planned maintenance.

Brian Benfield, who manages the warehouse logistics operations for H4H, is grateful for the new forklift, which replaces the charity's old forklift that had become increasingly unreliable. "Now I don't need to worry about the forklift breaking down or not getting back from one of the warehouses."

The electric forklift is used to receive and despatch palletised goods up to six days a week and is vital to supporting fundraising efforts.

A range of about 500 H4H branded items are sold from the company's website, from pens, mugs and cuddly toys to posters and t-shirts. The operation processes about 200 orders a day for merchandise which then is picked, packaged and despatched daily. This can rise to about 1,400 orders a day in the lead-up to Christmas. Most of the items are sold on a sale-or-return basis to support local charitable events around the country.

H4H was founded in 2007 by Bryn Parry OBE and his wife Emma Parry OBE after visiting wounded soldiers at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. H4H has been one of the UK's most successful charities in recent years and by the end of 2011, had raised over GBP112 million (USD176 million) to help injured British servicemen and women.