A SPECIAL guest paid a visit to the Vauxhall plant last week.
Double amputee Private Derek Derenalagi, who was injured in Afghanistan, was given a tour of the factory as a representative of the company’s chosen charity, Help for Heroes.
Vauxhall has raised £100,000 for the charity nationally as well as donating a number of vehicles.
Derek, who is training for the Paralympics, toured the plant to thank Vauxhall employees for their continuous support.
Also present wereVauxhall employees Paul Lee, a part-time soldier for the Territorial Army, and Phil Lewis, a part-time naval reserve petty officer who lives in Trelogan, North Wales.
Phil, 44, has served several tours of duty, most recently off the coast of Iraq in 2003, 2007 and 2008.
“I’ve been quite lucky as I have managed to remain uninjured,” he said.
“But I have worked on hospital ships so I have seen first hand just what some of these boys have been through.”
Asked if it was hard to adapt to life at home after a tour of duty, he added: “It’s another element to my life and makes things more interesting.
“I’ve been doing it for 19 years now so it’s something I can just switch on and off.”
Vauxhall communications officer Hollie Gregory praised Derek for his enduring spirit.
She said: “Derek is certainly a very charismatic figure, personifying endurance and determination as well as an unparalleled love for life and its challenges.
“We also carried a bucket for donations with us so we managed to raise a whopping £725.15 for the charity on the day, which was fantastic.”
