Land Rover has addressed the needs of a remote Scottish island in a move that could save lives.
As part of its 70th anniversary year of activity, Land Rover sent a team of expert Experience drivers and volunteers to Mull in a fleet of Land Rovers to deliver unique three-word address plaques from what3words to 2,000 properties on the island, many of which are in isolated areas.
What3words is a British technology company that has divided the globe into a grid of 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares, each with a unique, easy-to-remember three-word address searchable via an app that even works offline.
Addressing Mull is the first project in a new, exclusive global automotive humanitarian partnership between Jaguar Land Rover and what3words. The two companies stepped in after the island’s doctor, Brian Prendergast, asked for help to give every home and business a precise address that could provide a faster medical lifeline in emergencies.
The three-word addresses will help Dr Prendergast and his colleagues to respond to emergency call-outs more quickly and accurately, as well as improving everyday healthcare on Mull. Without detailed local knowledge of the island, it can be difficult for new members of his team to find individual homes where postcodes cover large areas and there may be no formal street names.
Dr. Prendergast said: “Using three-word addresses will vastly improve the ability of doctors and nurses, particularly those new to the island, to locate and assist remote-living patients. We believe it will not only help us deliver a better routine healthcare service, but will save vital minutes in emergency call-outs that could literally save a life. The island is really grateful to what3words and Land Rover for putting Mull on the map.”
Chris Thorp, Responsible Business Director, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “At Jaguar Land Rover we are passionate about the impact technology can make when combined with the talent of our people. Addressing Mull by Land Rover is the ideal way to launch our global humanitarian partnership with what3words, which has the potential to transform isolated communities around the world by making them more accessible. We have more than 40 active social impact projects that could benefit, so this is just the beginning of what we can achieve together as we explore exciting opportunities for the future.”
Working alongside what3words, Jaguar Land Rover will continue an impressive legacy of sharing its skills and technology to make a difference to people’s lives and make communities stronger.
In 2017, a record 25 per cent of Jaguar Land Rover’s 43,000-strong global workforce volunteered more than 100,000 hours to support team education visits and community projects focusing on regeneration, the environment, education and the community.
