Introduction

With senior management staff who are experienced and qualified in relation to field-based humanitarian security management and development planning, Land Rovers UK understands that the requirements placed on an aid agency vehicle will vary from those of an average business or personal user.

With a number of unique challenges, including climate, the complex demands of emergency purchasing, poor infrastructure provision in remote regions, limited access to competent local mechanical resources, and the very real risks associated with armed conflict and poor security, an agencies’ choice of vehicle is crucial...

What Land Rovers UK can do for your agency

✓ A wide selection of well prepared, high quality, used Land Rover 4x4s that can be sold and economically exported internationally;

✓ Qualified, experienced, in-house personnel with expertise in aid agency security management, field based risk analysis, and the protection of humanitarian values and objectives;

✓ The preparation or customisation of a vehicle to meet the exact requirements of the end user and the specific operational context (including aesthetic preparation, organisational branding, provision of safety and communications equipment, and the configuration of any seating/utility requirements);

✓ The provision of off-road, security, or vehicle maintenance training and support services;

✓ The support of a small but passionate independent team of experts.

Cheaper, safer and more secure vehicle solutions

Launched in 2010 by Land Rovers UK ltd, ‘Vehicles for Aid Agencies’ combines the experience and expertise of international aid workers, academic research, and independent mechanical and off-road vehicle management professionals.

Quite simply, the project aims to deliver cheaper, safer and more secure vehicle solutions to organisations operating in the international development, aid and emergency relief sectors.

So, if your Organisation is currently looking to purchase a new 4x4, get in touch with us to discuss our VFAA services.

Repairs by spanner, not computer

Land Rover’s Defender model is renowned for its mechanically simple and straight forward build. The Defender remains one of very few 4x4s that can be well maintained and repaired without the extensive resource that most modern computer operated engine systems require.

The Defender is, by design, a ‘no thrills’ vehicle. Without standard electric windows, air conditioning or complex internal computer systems, there is not a whole lot to go wrong. For this reason, the vast majority of repairs are conducted with a spanner and a healthy dollop of elbow grease.

Handling the most challenging environments

For good reason, the Defender has become the vehicle of choice for off-road expedition and adventure professionals. With a reputation for delivering an unrivalled off-road capability, the Defender will handle the most challenging environments in a manner that simply out performs other standard 4x4s. With a heritage that stretches back more than 60 years, it is the character and strength of the Land Rover brand that has ensured that Land Rover is now the second longest surviving 4x4 manufacturer of all time.

However, the robust nature of a Defender does not mean that they will require less love and attention than the next vehicle... but with the reliability of some of Land Rover’s Japanese competitors now facing serious scrutiny by the international media, and with an increasing body of academic evidence that suggests the ubiquitous white humanitarian 4x4 has become an easily identifiable target for criminals and militias, the question is how can Land Rovers UK improve upon the current ‘norm’ of humanitarian vehicle management?

Saving aid agencies money

At Land Rovers UK we have built a solid reputation for sourcing, preparing and selling good quality used Defenders. Our ambition for the ‘Vehicles for Aid Agencies’ project is therefore simple: We believe that we can provide, prepare, customise, and deliver used Land Rovers, that will more than meet the transport demands of most aid agencies, in a more economical manner than current vehicle procurement norms provide.

Protecting valuable budget resource

Clearly, a used vehicle will always cost less than a new vehicle. However, if a well prepared and maintained Land Rover can provide the same peace of mind that a new vehicle can, then we hope ‘Vehicles for Aid Agencies’ might itself become a vehicle to empower the humanitarian sector to protect valuable budget resource.

In short, we hope that we can help to redirect some of the money that is currently spent on new vehicles back in to valuable development and relief projects.

Vehicles prepared for specific contexts

As well as protecting aid budgets, ‘Vehicles For Aid Agencies’ can offer direct benefit to the operational delivery of aid programmes.

In many aid contexts security managers now recognise that new vehicles often attract the risk of car-jacking, robbery or kidnap. Therefore Land Rovers UK can provide a mechanically sound vehicle that might on the surface appear like an undesirable old ‘banger’. Or, in other environments, an expensive new vehicle might reinforce a negative ethical message in the local population that could otherwise be avoided: ‘Why do these agencies spend so much money on these luxurious new vehicles in our names?' Alternatively, the standard white 4x4 might be negatively associated within some local populations with ‘Western imperialism’. Therefore, we can provide a vehicle that has unique or unusual paint work that will help an agency to, depending on their specific needs, ‘blend in’ or ‘stand out’.

In summary, Vehicles for Aid Agencies is an opportunity for the humanitarian sector to engage with an independent, friendly, flexible team of vehicle preparation and export professionals.

To learn more about our Vehicles For Aid Agency services please email vfaa@landroversuk.co.uk