The Hendy Group and The Hendy Foundation

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With a heritage spanning over 160 years, we’re proud to represent 21 automotive brands across the South Coast. From Ford to Land Rover, whichever brand best suits your taste, you'll benefit from the same great customer service at all of our dealerships – along with a warm ‘Hendy welcome’!

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160 years…and counting!
 

Our story began with Frederick Adolphus Hendy, who opened a bicycle shop in Whitchurch in 1859. At the turn of the century, the company made a tentative step towards selling motor vehicles, linking up with Benz and Bolle. In fact, we still have the 1898 two-cylinder Benz owned by Frederick Adolphus (not for sale, unfortunately!).

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Over the course of the following century, we enjoyed a number of milestones, including becoming Britain’s first Ford dealer in 1910 – a relationship that’s spanned over 100 years. During the Second World War, our Vincent’s Walk and Chandler’s Ford premises were used to build Spitfire planes, following damage to the original Ministry of Aircraft Production’s factory.

Today, we’re proud to be one of the UK’s largest multi-franchise dealership networks, covering eight counties across the South Coast of England and over 1,600 colleagues.

 

Family-run, since day one
 

As we continue to evolve as a group, we’re proud to remain a close-knit family-run business, with the fifth generation of the Hendy family at the helm, and the next generation also part of the company. Although we’ve grown a lot since 1859, our core values of honesty, quality, care and customer service are still at the heart of the company. Our vision is to deliver a 100% positive customer and colleague experience.

What’s more, our commitment to giving back to local communities goes back generations, and in 2019, we launched Hendy Foundation to support local projects, people, events and charitable organisations. Typically, the Foundation donates many thousands of pounds to successful applicants each quarter, helping to make a difference to people’s lives across the South Coast.

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Macmillan Caring Locally

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The Macmillan Unit at Christchurch Hospital is a Specialist Palliative Care Unit and Hospice for patients in South East Dorset and South West Hampshire. The charity, Macmillan Caring Locally, works in partnership with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust to provide the services at the Macmillan Unit and in our community. The unit is supported and funded by Macmillan Caring Locally providing an exceptional standard of care and a homely environment for patients, their families and visitors. The charity also provides nursing and medical equipment to improve patient treatment and comfort.

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The Macmillan Unit was awarded ‘Practice Development Status’ making it a Centre of Excellence for Palliative Care. The unit also received ‘The Princess Royal Training Award’ for the training and development of their volunteers in 2017 and were very proud to earn the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2018.

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The charity funds the Family Support Team, Rehabilitation Team, the Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurses, the Hospice at Home Team, the virtual Day Centre and a number of senior medical staff roles at the Hospice. It also funds a team of Clinical Nurse Specialists permanently based at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.

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Macmillan Caring Locally is a small, community charity and is not connected in any way to the national charity Macmillan Cancer Support.

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Our History

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“Macmillan Caring Locally” formerly The Macmillan Cancer Trust was formed in 1974 and evolved from the fund raising committee for the building of the Macmillan Unit at Christchurch Hospital, the first of its kind in the country. This committee included amongst its members representatives from the League of Friends at the Royal Victoria Hospital (now Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and the National Society for Cancer Relief.

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During the final building stages of the Unit it was decided to form a Trust to be identified with the Unit and it was registered as a Charity on 25 July 1974 as “the Macmillan Cancer Trust”

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In 2009 the Trust was re-branded as “Macmillan Caring Locally”. The aims of the charity are to support those who are suffering from cancer and other life limiting illnesses where no cure is expected, and to provide help and support for the whole family.

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“Macmillan Caring Locally” acts as the custodian of all funds donated towards its aims and both initiates and responds to a wide variety of needs supporting the N.H.S.,  primarily for the Macmillan Unit but also for other Cancer sufferers in South East Dorset and West Hampshire.

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Macmillan Caring Locally is not connected in any way to the national charity Macmillan Cancer Support.