Allied Gives Over £88,000 Donations In North Glasgow

Allied Vehicles, one of Glasgow’s most prominent employers, has demonstrated commitment to its local community with more than £88,000 in donations to charities and good causes in almost 18 months.

When he launched the Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust in January 2022, company owner Gerry Facenna said he wanted to give back something to the Possilpark community where Allied was established 30 years ago and is still based today.

He pledged £10,000 in donations every month, which was recently raised to £20,000. Since its launch, the Trust has given a total of £88,200 to charities and causes in Possilpark and north Glasgow, which are in the top 20 of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Three causes in the area are included in the latest donations from AVCT – Keppoch Nursery, Love Milton and the Milton Rattlers – benefitting by more than £5,000.

Keppoch Nursery in Possilpark approached AVCT seeking support for their efforts to develop an outdoor play area on campus, called the Gruffalo Garden. Most of their children live in flats with little, or no, access to a safe outdoor space, and the nursery said it wanted to address that, as well as train their team in outdoor play.

The AVCT staff committee, who with Gerry decides which causes to support, agreed to give them £3,500, described by nursery head Kelly McLaughlin as “fantastic news”. She said: “This will definitely help to benefit the children’s outdoor learning experience.”

“The amazing donation of £3500 from AVCT will help us to develop our Gruffalo Garden into an exciting outdoor space where our young children can safely participate in adventurous play, we are absolutely delighted with this news. Thank you AVCT, it means so much to us!”

Another beneficiary is Love Milton, a charity that tries to combat the symptoms and causes of deprivation in Milton, to make it a better place to live with more opportunities for locals to develop their interests. They arrange year-round community events including Milton Gala Day, and Allied gave them £1,000 towards these.

Project Coordinator Marina Costello told AVCT: “Thank you so much, this will help get people back together over the summer for free activities.”

Last year, the committee were tickled by a handwritten letter from Raymond Hunter, chairman of a group for local elderly people, the Milton Rattlers, and gave them £750 to help their day trip to Largs.

He had gone into Allied, in Balmore Road, Glasgow, and handed the letter to a man he described as “the manager”, who turned out to be Gerry.

The Rattlers – so-called for the noise their various medications make when they move around – returned this year, when Raymond gave their handwritten note to someone else. He told them: “We had such a great time in Largs last year that we’d like to do something similar this year and wondered if you could help.”

The AVCT agreed and gave them another £750, for which they were promised another hand-scripted thank-you note.

Glasgow’s Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren said: “Allied is a familiar local business and it’s fantastic that this firm is supporting the local community. I know these donations mean a great deal to those that receive them. They’re helping improve people’s lives and bring joy in these difficult times.”

Gerry said he was delighted that Allied has been able to support the local community.

“Allied Vehicles plays a significant role in the local economy and I feel very strongly that we should give something back to the place where we’ve prospered.”

“Many different charities and causes have benefitted since we launched the Trust and we’ll continue to support them – and others – for the foreseeable future.”