Pictured above: Sharon Gray from Land Rover handing over old work wear to Midlands Air Ambulance representative Pete Barnes

Rugged employees at Land Rover are stripping off this month to help raise money for charity. 

2,500 employees at the Solihull based manufacturing site are donating their old work wear to Midlands Air Ambulance; Land Rover's designated local Charity of Choice for the next two years. 

Due to re-branding at Land Rover, trousers, jackets and sweatshirts will all be replaced during 2011 leaving the old work wear free to be donated to the rapid response charity. 

Midlands Air Ambulance receives £100 for every tonne of clothing donated and it is predicted that Land Rover's donation could equate to nearly ten tonnes.

The initial donation was made last week (23rd March) when a van full of clothing was collected from the Solihull site. 

"It's great that we are able to raise money for Midlands Air Ambulance simply by recycling our old work wear," says Sharon Gray, PA to Operations Director at Land Rover. 

"Midlands Air Ambulance is vital to the local community and resonated strongly with our employees who named it as Charity of Choice for the next two years."

In addition to this donation Land Rover will also be contributing to the £6 million Midlands Air Ambulance needs to raise each year through a give as you earn scheme initiated by the employees. It is expected that this could raise an additional £8,000 for the charity. 

To further boost the total amount raised the company will host a Land Rover experience day on 12th and 13th November. Open to everyone the experience day aims to get the local community involved in the company's fundraising. For more information visit www.midlandsairambulance.com. 

"I am delighted about this new partnership with Land Rover," says Corporate Fundraising Manager at Midlands Air Ambulance Stef Langford Brown. "The Charity receives no central funding so the money raised from these fundraising efforts will have a direct and real impact on saving lives across the region." 

Midlands Air Ambulance is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year marking two decades of airlifting seriously ill people to hospital across the Midlands. 

As part of Land Rover's corporate social responsibility scheme the company will be supporting four local charities this year including Midlands Air Ambulance, Troop Aid, Birmingham Youth Volunteers and Chelmsley Gardening Service, all nominated by Land Rover employees. Ends.