22-Dec-2006

When it comes to providing some festive cheer this Christmas TNT Express Services will be doing its bit for survivors of the Asian Tsunami - an event that shocked the world when it struck with such devastating effect on Boxing Day 2004.

The giant tidal wave swept across the Indian Ocean killing more than a quarter-of-a-million people in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand but now, two years on, the company is helping rebuild the shattered lives of those who suffered in the disaster.

The company was approached by ITV's evergreen 'Challenge Anneka' programme asking if it would transport more than five tons of equipment and supplies to Sri Lanka for the making of a special Boxing Day night broadcast. 

Special Delivery - Anneka Rice gets on top of her TNT consignment before heading off to Sri Lanka

Fronted by TV personality, Anneka Rice, she and her team of volunteers were set the demanding task of building a maternity unit, a cricket pavilion and a children's play and therapy centre in the Sri Lankan province of Kalutra - an area that bore the brunt of the tsunami.

Once having accepted Anneka's challenge it was left to TNT's Air Hubs & Gateways General Manager Bob Dylag and his team to orchestrate the TNT operation to a highly demanding schedule.

Bob and his extended team at both East Midlands and Heathrow Airports worked tirelessly to ensure vital items such as baby monitors, a children's roundabout and even a handcrafted child's rocking horse were collected, carefully packaged and safely delivered.

TNT Express here in the UK teamed up with TNT Sri Lanka to ensure the whole consignment was transported by road from Colombo Airport in the Sri Lankan capital to the ITV filming locations. 


Off camera - Anneka chats to Nigel Barton, Director of Operations in between filming takes

Bob said: "It was a challenge in every sense of the word but one that the whole operations team took in its stride. I am immensely proud of the amount of effort and enthusiasm generated by all of those involved in the project and needless to say, TNT delivered on time and in perfect condition!

"We all wanted to do the best possible job, not just because we take great pride in what we do but also because we realised this was our chance to help a group of young people who had suffered horrors that we can hardly begin to imagine." 

On camera - The Challenge Anneka film crew capture some TNT images for broadcast on Boxing Day night

Nigel Barton, Director of Operations,TNT Express Services said: "We were delighted to help such a worthy cause and it was gratifying that ITV chose to ask TNT Express to undertake such a special consignment."