The North Devon branch of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has donated £3,000 to Royal Devon Hospitals Charity.
The money was raised by members at the association’s annual dinner dance at the Saunton Sands Hotel. The event also raised £3,000 for brain injury charity Headway.
The charities were chosen by RHA area chairman Bill Hockin, who is celebrating 50 years in business this year.
Mr Hockin, who started haulage firm William C Hockin Transport Ltd with his wife Irene in Barnstaple in 1974, managed a fleet more than 50 vehicles before deciding to sell the haulage and tanker side of the business in 2020.
“I was 25 when I bought my first truck and trailer for £3,750 in 1974 and worked long hours and very hard to grow the business,” said Mr Hockin, who still runs the Blue Box self-storage and warehousing arm of the business on Seven Brethren, as a well as a commercial vehicle repairs depot at the firm’s head office in Roundswell.
“I’m very proud to have been able to bring so many goods and services into North Devon for so many years, and as area chairman of the RHA, equally proud to have been able to donate £6,000 to two very worthy charities.”
Ian Roome, Head of Fundraising for Royal Devon Hospitals Charity, said: “We are delighted to receive such a wonderful donation from Bill on behalf of RHA members. The money will help us to do brilliant things at our hospitals in North Devon and push the limits of what’s possible with NHS funding.”
