When it comes to protecting Britain’s wildlife, the work carried out by Wakefield District Badger Group, a part of the Badger Trust, is vital. The Group carries out surveys, talks, field tasks and is always on call to attend to injured badgers. All this work however requires transport, so when the Group’s Volkswagen Golf 1.4i failed its MOT due to a faulty exhaust, the Group contacted Klarius Products, the UK’s largest manufacturer of aftermarket exhausts, to help its conservation efforts get back on the road.
Paul Hayward, Group Secretary at Wakefield District Badger Group and Retired Police Wildlife Officer, explains more: “We contacted Klarius due to its frequent support of local good causes. As a charitable group, our funding and time is very limited, plus we were aware that an ineffective exhaust can create more pollution.
Thankfully the Klarius R&D / technical team understands this, so they were more than happy to provide replacement parts for our current VW Golf as a donation. Having used a Klarius product before, I also knew there would be no compromise in component quality. While our Golf is not the youngest car on the road, its vitally important we retain the reliability of our vehicles and assets, so as much time can be spent supporting badgers as possible.”
Doug Bentley, Head of R&D at Klarius, expands: “We were delighted to support Wakefield District Badger Group again. To pass the MOT test, the vehicle required the middle pipe section replacing, but we recommended & supplied the complete Emission Control system in order to ensure that the vehicle is fully compliant with EU regulations as well as ensuring ease of fitment and manufacturers spec vehicle performance. All the components we already had in stock at our manufacturing facility in Cheadle, Staffordshire, so as with all our customers in the UK – were delivered the next morning to Paul’s surprise. Paul had identified the section required from our web catalogue, so we sent it over to his local garage for prompt fitting. All our products are delivered with a Fit First Time guarantee and a 2-year warranty, so it should perform well for years to come.”
Wakefield District Badger Group, as part of the Badger Trust, is one of 60 local organisations across the UK designed to conserve, educate and dispel myths on badgers. Working with schools, the police, government institutions and the general public, the Badger Trust forms a first line of defence against cruelty, crime and habitat loss. With our changing environment putting ever more pressure on British wildlife, supporting this iconic and endearing species is of increasing importance.
Doug concludes: “As a manufacturer of exhausts, we have to be very environmentally conscious. This is evidenced by our stringent approach to type-approval and emissions compliance, testing and manufacturing at our facility. However, we don’t want this ethos to be confined to our physical products, we want it to be part of our customer service in a way that it can benefit worthy causes, and this is a great example.”
