SSAFA says "Tanks a lot!"

10 August 2022

Staff at Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) Hadley Castle Works in Telford worked up quite an appetite for a Big Brew Up at the site by pulling a 66-tonne Challenger 3 main battle tank to raise funds for SSAFA.

More than 50 staff took just three minutes to tug the mighty demonstrator vehicle some 47 metres, 68 centimetres (152 feet in old money) along the site’s test track.

In addition to this exertion, and a Big Brew Up, staff at the plant, which in various guises has been a hotbed of engineering innovation and excellence for scores of years, put on their own motor show.

Its “Pride of Ownership Auto Show” allowed colleagues to show off their pride and joy to win a trophy and a prize, with winners as follows:

Post ‘95 category: Billy Grew, Ford Fiesta R2 Rally Car
Pre ‘95 category: Paul Wallace, 1943 GMC Deuce and a Half
Best in Show and the People’s Choice: Max Harper, 1966 Ford Anglia 105e

Speaking of the week of events at the Telford site, an RBSL spokesperson said: “This is one of the reasons why we at Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land are so keen to support SSAFA, because we see the positive work it does for the Armed Forces community day in and day out.”

Jessica Sanders, SSAFA’s Corporate Partnerships Officer, added: “The tank pull looked like a real barrel of laughs, and it was great to see so many RBSL staff – I suppose you could call them ‘heavy metal fans’ – all pulling together for SSAFA. It demonstrates the calibre of staff at Hadley Castle Works, and so it’s a big ‘tank you!’ from me and all at SSAFA.”