A CAR dealer has lent a helping hand to a life-saving scheme.

West Way Nissan, which has a dealership in Houndmills, has presented a Nissan Juke Visia to the HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding life-saving hospital helipads.

This is the first time that a car has ever been donated to the charity and it will be used to help raise the charity’s profile.

West Way Nissan, which is the largest Nissan dealer group in the UK with 15 branches, presented the car to HELP Appeal fundraiser Jason Dennis, who has worked for the charity for 11 years.

He will use the car to travel thousands of miles to help raise money for more hospital helipads across the country.

Sara Harris, West Way Nissan’s Marketing Director said: "We are proud to be supporting a charity that provides such a critical service supporting hospitals, air ambulances and the general public. The HELP Appeal has had an impact on many lives and we are pleased to support it by providing a vehicle to its fundraising team.

"The air ambulances and helipads are services that we hope our staff and customers never have the need for, but rest assured that if they do, the best possible facilities can be made available to them in the event of an emergency with the support of the HELP Appeal.

"We look forward to working closely with them in future."