Lothian 4×4 Response have signed a memorandum of Understanding with Edinburgh City Council.

Here’s a snippet of the news story on the Edinburgh Evening News Website

DOZENS of Land Rover drivers are to ensure Edinburgh’s most vulnerable receive the care and medicine they need this winter after a ground-breaking deal was brokered with an all-action charity.

All-terrain enthusiasts will ferry care and social staff to the homes of isolated patients cut off by snow or ice after a contract was signed with Lothian 4×4 Response this week.

The charity, which boasts 33 volunteers, will provide logistical support and perform a range of tasks including collecting and delivering equipment or supplies, surveying roads and vehicle recovery.

It comes as the city gears up for an expected white-out, with the winter of 2010 – which saw the army clearing ice and snow from the streets – still fresh in the memory.

Forecasters have already warned city residents to have shovels at the ready this winter with a pattern of high 
pressure predicted from December through to February.

Malcolm Gibson, a 62-year-old IT consultant by day and a driver with Lothian 4×4 Response by night, said the charity was a “group of volunteers committed to using our 4×4 vehicles” to help others in need. In recent years, the group has helped distribute aid to flood victims, provide meals on wheels and courier care staff to isolated patients.