There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on local business. Reopening after lockdown has been difficult for many companies to manage, especially where new safety regulations have necessitated wide-scale organisational shifts. However, this hasn’t stopped Tottenham based forklift dealers, Hiremech, from giving back to the community whilst safely reopening to customers.

The company kindly donated a forklift and two electric pumps to Haringey Council to help move items around their food hub, set up with Edible Food at the Tottenham Hotspur football ground in April. The council tweeted about this act of generosity under the hash-tag ‘HaringeyTogether’, emphasising that the machines were put to good use.

This comes after the council reached out to local businesses for support with delivering food parcels and essential supplies to vulnerable residents. Their call was heeded by Hiremech who have a long and rich history of servicing the community.

According to a company spokesperson, Hiremech has “always believed that it is important to give back to the community. We depend on the people of Tottenham to run our business and so we owe it to them to support them in times of need. Things haven’t been easy during this pandemic, especially for smaller businesses, and as a forklift company, we recognise the important contribution we can make through donating equipment and helping with deliveries.”

A further recent community effort involved working with North London Community Consortium. Hiremech helped to deliver hot food to NHS Staff at North Middlesex Hospital in appreciation of the lifesaving work performed by healthcare workers during the pandemic. This meant donating two Hiremech vans and providing a set of volunteer staff to make the deliveries.

In the spirit of mutual aid, Hiremech emphasises that this was a collaborative effort as many of their most highly valued and loyal customers chipped in too. For example, Kolak Snack Foods donated crisps and snacks while Wing Yip offered rice and London Lids gave containers for the food. “It was so great to see our customers come together to help out and we continue to help those who are vulnerable and in need at this extraordinary time,” the company adds.

None of this work is new to Hiremech. As mentioned, Hiremech has a long history of cooperating with the local community. For example, their proximity to Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium has led to a close partnership which helped bring about the work with Haringey Council.

Hiremech is London’s sole provider of Hyster forklift trucks, so the company is aware of the unique niche that they fill in providing for local businesses. Helping the community is not only a crucial component of Hiremech’s coronavirus response but it is also written directly into the business’s ethos.

By building on their local and regional connections, ranging from London Underground to Camden Town Brewery, Hiremech continues to find ways to support those in need. As the pressure remains to maintain social distancing, it is important to keep up social solidarity. Hopefully, Hiremech can act as a role model for bringing communities together.