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Waitings tickled pink by fundraising JCB digger

Plant hirer Waitings is tickled pink with its newest heavyweight JCB machine – literally. The latest 22-tonne excavator to join the family firm’s fleet doesn’t come in traditional JCB yellow but in pink – in tribute to a much-loved member of the founding family. And each time the machine digs a clump of earth it will be raising money for a number of charities close to the family company’s heart.

The pink machine – a JCB 220X tracked excavator – has been given the stunning paint job in memory of Victoria Waiting (pictured below), who died aged 44 of a brain tumour in 2016. Now, Victoria’s brother Robert and fellow director Adrian Ash (pictured above with JCB UK and Ireland Sales Director, Steve Smith), who run the Cumbria-based drainage, civil engineering, pipeline and plant hire firm, have decided that each time the machine is hired, a percentage of the revenue will be donated to charity, including local Cumbrian hospices and Brain Tumour Research. The new model follows in the tracks of another pink JCB excavator bought in 2015.

Adrian Ash said, “Our existing pink JCB has been fantastic in terms of productivity and in the awareness it raised. It delivered an excellent return not only for the business but also the chosen charities. It is poignant that soon after it had been introduced, we lost Victoria to the very disease we were raising money fund research into.

“That is why we are so keen to continue with the pink theme and raise vital funds for those cancer-related charities which are so close to our hearts,” he continued. “We would like to thank JCB and Scot JCB again for their hard work and support in commissioning this machine – it is testament to the factory’s flexibility. Their willingness to engage in such a special project is hugely appreciated.”

Victoria lived in Cliburn (the Cumbrian village where Waitings is based) all of her life and she was a much-loved part of the company and community. Mother to son James and daughter Alex, Victoria was also passionate about horses and a highly successful eventer. The original pink JCB machine, which has helped Waitings raise over £100,000 for charity over the years, will soon be auctioned off with a portion of the proceeds going to charity.

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