Company unveils tribute to driver
ANORTHUMBERLAND company has paid tribute to one of its former drivers who died earlier this year.
Peter Marszalkowski, from Bedlington, passed away in January at the age of 57, following a battle with cancer.
Peter, worked as a driver for Moody Logistics and Storage in Cramlington, and was well-known for his love of red squirrels.
And now, Moody has named one of its 18 tonne trucks ‘Geordie Squirrel’ – complete with red squirrel graphics – in Peter’s honour.
His family are delighted with the tribute and said that even at Peter’s funeral, donations went to Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE).
Peter’s daughter, Jessica, said: “It’s so lovely to know that dad was loved and respected not only by his family and friends but by those who worked alongside him. He would be chuffed to know Moody’s has chosen to remember him by naming a truck after a cause he was so passionate about.”
Peter’s niece Emily Leightley said: “I understand that he was fond of wildlife and nature from an early age and was a member of RSNE because he cared so much about the future of the red squirrel.”
Peter joined family-run company Moody’s in 2018 and mainly delivered to the Scottish Borders.
After he was diagnosed with cancer, diagnosis, he switched to making drops closer to home in Ashington, Blyth, and Cramlington.
Richard Moody, operations director at Moody Logistics, said: “Peter was a popular and highly-regarded member of our team and everyone wanted to honour his memory.
“We have a tradition of naming our trucks prefixed by ‘Geordie’ to reflect our home region and heritage and we thought it would be fitting to name one ‘Geordie Squirrel’ to reflect the huge regard everyone had for him and to help promote the cause he held so dear.”
Donations following his funeral service at St Bede’s RC Church, Bedlington, raised more than £500 for RSNE, a partnership of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, in partnership with other northern Wildlife Trusts, Forestry Commission, Red Squirrel Survival Trust and Natural England. His former employer donated an additional £250.
RSNE works to protect red squirrels throughout the North where they are still found in the wild.
Mike Denbury of RSNE said: “The wonderful donation from Peter’s family and friends and Moody Logistics and Storage will enable RSNE to purchase cameras which will be used as part of our annual spring survey. The results of the survey will help us plan our future red squirrel conservation efforts.”
Catherine Kirkham, Fundraising Manager of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, added: “We are so grateful when we receive donations from members of the public and are always deeply moved when family members choose to remember us when their loved ones have passed away.
“We rely on the support of donors to deliver the work that we do so this donation will be put to very good use by our red squirrel conservation team.”