Rugby legend and Land Rover Ambassador Bryan Habana has visited a British Red Cross centre in London to thank staff and volunteers for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Springbok and star of the 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning team went to the Hackney Destitution Centre to show his support on International Volunteer Day. Habana, in London for the Autumn Nations Cup, met staff volunteers providing practical support and advice to asylum seekers in need and helped out by packing food parcels.
Habana is a long-standing supporter of the Red Cross alongside Land Rover, which is providing 58 more cars to help in the fight against the pandemic. Jaguar Land Rover has already lent 362 vehicles to support the response to coronavirus since March. These include 164 to the British Red Cross, with further vehicles going to South Africa, Spain, Australia, Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Bulgaria, Portugal and Austria.
Bryan Habana, Land Rover Ambassador, said: “I am extremely passionate about giving back and it is humbling and a privilege to use my role as a Land Rover Ambassador to support the incredible work that the British Red Cross has been doing throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The work of the Red Cross is now, more than ever, of critical importance and it was inspiring to see first-hand the difference the staff and volunteers are making every day.”
The Hackney Destitution Centre provides food parcels, toiletries and practical support to vulnerable refugees and people seeking asylum. Staff and volunteers are keeping the centre open at a reduced capacity to continue helping those in need during the pandemic. They have used a Land Rover Defender to deliver food parcels to people across London who could not leave their homes.
The centre is also supporting individuals in collecting their parcels one at a time, to maintain social distancing measures. Staff and volunteers are also running online activities and social sessions to help keep people’s spirits up.
Gloria Ho, Destitution Service Manager, British Red Cross Hackney Centre, said: “It was really special to meet Bryan Habana and show him how we’ve adapted to continue supporting vulnerable people in London during the coronavirus pandemic. He was keen to get stuck in and his support is invaluable in helping us to continue to champion the rights of refugees around the world. Land Rover is a long-standing supporter of the Red Cross and the work we do in communities like this all over the world.”
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