Cannock-based Briggs Equipment is helping to deliver millions of gifts this Christmas to underprivileged children across Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The leading forklift truck provider has supplied one of its fleet of short term hire (STH) trucks, free of charge, to the charity, Samaritan's Purse.

The Yale forklift will be used to support the Christian charity's 'Operation Christmas Child' project.

Established since 1991, the project receives around one million shoeboxes of toys every year from the public, schools, churches and other associations from across the UK. The shoeboxes are taken to collection points around the country, packed and then loaded onto hundreds of lorries ready for dispatch.  

Briggs' STH machine operates at the charity's Chelmsford warehouse in Essex where, for six weeks, it will handle around 25,000 shoeboxes. 

Allan Parsons, Briggs Equipment's asset manager, explains: "The Yale machine is the only lift truck operating at the Chelmsford warehouse; therefore, it is vital that it remains fully operational throughout the packing season.

"During this time, the truck will load around 100 pallets onto three lorries which can carry up to 10,000 shoeboxes at a time and we have a dedicated STH team to ensure the operation runs smoothly."

Briggs has been supplying Samaritan's Purse with a free STH forklift for the past five years and the equipment has never failed to get the job done within such a short timeframe.

George Haste, a warehouse manager for Operation Christmas Child, commented: "The forklift supplied by Briggs is invaluable to us and every year the company is extremely helpful; we cannot praise them enough for all the help and time they have given us."

In addition to supplying the Yale truck, Briggs employees also support Operation Christmas Child by donating shoeboxes full of toys, books and toiletry items.