The weekend of the 21st and 22nd of August was time once again for the annual NHS Family Fun Day and Motor Show in association with NHS Fleet Solutions.

Pulman were on hand to display a fantastic range of cars with a dedicated event support vehicle handing out balloons and goodies to the families visiting the show. The Pulman Fleet team were on hand at the event to show visitors around the cars on show and to promote the competitive new rates across the Volkswagen range.

Included in the display was the new Golf Bluemotion boasting fantastic economy figures and a CO2 output of just 99g/km.

Visitors could also try their luck at entering the exclusive Pulman competition to win a signed Newcastle United Football Club championship winning shirt, by guessing how many balloons had been hidden in the New Polo on display!

Sporty Spanish car maker SEAT is set for even more success in Sunderland following the takeover of its award-winning dealership in the city.

Alexandra Bridge Cars in Southwick was one of the first SEAT dealers in the UK and built a glowing reputation for excellence over the past quarter of a century.

Now though, the hugely popular and highly regarded retailer has been acquired by the North East-based retailer Pulman - one of the most successful and innovative retailers in Volkswagens nationwide network.

And the new owners, who operate the Volkswagen franchises in Sunderland and Durham, have pledged to offer customers the best of both worlds as they look to make the latest addition to their growing family even better than ever.

But loyal customers of Pulman SEAT, as it will now be known, should not expect to see change for change's sake or a sea of new faces on their next visit. On the contrary, long-serving Fleet Sales Manager Paul Fowler will continue to oversee fleet matters, while Service Manager Lee Morris and his experienced team of technicians will remain in the workshop.

Both teams will be strengthened, however, in order to further improve customer satisfaction and ensure all visitors to the dealership receive the highest levels of care and attention at all times.

It's an approach that has served Pulman well down the years, with Durham Volkswagen going from strength-to-strength over the past decade and the acquisition and subsequent expansion and transformation of Mill Garages in Sunderland two years ago where the goal is to deliver a fantastic customer experience.

Mike Pulman, founder and Managing Director of the Pulman Group, which now employs more than 140 people, said: 'We are thrilled to add such a fantastic dealership to our stable.

'We are also extremely excited to be working with SEAT which is undoubtedly one of the most exciting brand's around with a great line-up of models.

'Being from the North East myself I've been aware of Alexandra Bridge for many years and am well aware of the fantastic reputation the team at the dealership worked hard to build and maintain in the local community and beyond.

'Our intention is to build upon the many strengths of the dealership by adding the ideas and innovations that have made our Volkswagen franchises among the very best in the country.

'By strengthening the fantastic team already in place at the dealership and instilling our own approach to customer care, I am sure Pulman SEAT will go from strength to strength and that customers old and new will be impressed.

As a group, our overall goal is to deliver a fantastic customer experience as we know that, ultimately, we'll only be successful if we keep our customers happy.'

For more details about the SEAT range or to speak to a sales or service adviser, call Pulman SEAT now on 0191 549 2926.

Volkswagen Fleet's popular CO2 emissions guide has been updated in electronic format only and can be downloaded below.

Giving you the ultimate guide to picking the low-emission models, potentially saving money on running costs, including fuel and VED. Currently 66.25 per cent of the Volkswagen model range has a CO2 emission figure of 160g/km and below. This compares favourably with most other large manufacturers.

For the second year running Fleet News magazine has undertaken a survey on the most recognised 'green manufacturer', and Volkswagen has topped the poll again. As a result, we have seen a significant rise in Unified Fleet test drives and, subsequently, sales volume.

For more information please contact Pulman Fleet on 0191 383 7505.

Click here to download the Guide.

In conjunction with Fleet News magazine, Volkswagen Fleet Services has produced a new Company Car Tax guide for 2010/11.

This is proven as a valuable tool for fleet managers and drivers alike when looking at their annual running and personal taxation liabilities.

The guide covers:

• Vehicle Excise Duty (VED)
• National Insurance Contributions
• Capital allowances and lease rental restrictions
• Fuel allowances

For more information please contact Pulman Fleet on 0191 383 7505

Click here to download the Guide.

Do you want to unlock the potential of your Golf GTI or Scirocco GT?

We can now supply and fit a variety of official Volkswagen Racing upgrades, which give improvements to power and handling with subtle aesthetic enhancements.

Visit our VWR Upgrade information page for more information, using the link below.

VWR Upgrade Packages

We are delighted to announce that Pulman Fleet have been awarded Volkswagen UK's prestigious 'Unified Fleet' partnership for the Northern region after successfully beating off stiff competition from a number of other retailers during a tender submission and presentation at Volkswagen UK's Head Office.

Our region is the largest in the UK and covers from the Scottish Border in the North East across to the Scottish border in Cumbria to the West, down to North Yorkshire and the Lancashire border in the South West.

The Volkswagen Unified Fleet demonstration service provides extended test drives to Registered Fleet Operators across the United Kingdom via a Central reservation system.

Contact Us to arrange a test drive

On June 29th, Pulman hosted the annual charity golf day at Chester le Street golf club, which was attended by 20 teams each competing for prizes, some of which were donated by Adidas.

Along with the competitiveness, the day also hosted a charity auction, with items such as signed cricket bats from Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen, through to a signed Newcastle Falcons rugby shirt.

Overall the day was a huge success and Pulman raised £10,000 for the NSPCC and Newcastle Freeman Hospital, the chosen charities.

That amount would not have been possible if not for the efforts of the several sponsors who supported the event. View the Pulman Charity Golf Day website for more information on the sponsors, and how you could get involved next year.

Planning is already underway for the 2010 Golf Day with an aim to raise a record amount for the charities.

We are proud to launch our new website which will bring a huge amount of information directly to our customers.

New features include up to the minute rental offers, updated as and when they become available. A great new streamlined news system to keep our customers up to date on current events such as product launches, charity events and last minute rental offer updates.

With the addition of our brand new model range section we hope our business customers will find the straightforward information on MPG and CO2 emissions very helpful. Customers can also download brochures and P11D Pricelists for their chosen model, direct from Volkswagen so you can always be sure they're up to date.

Our new Aftersales Services section includes information for our customers after choosing Pulman as their fleet provider. This includes fantastic servicing offers as well as free wireless Internet access in our bespoke café so you can always keep up with work while your Volkswagen is serviced.

We've even streamlined how you can contact us. Quick contact details are available on the Company Information section, and we have a quick form for any queries you have in the Contact section.

We hope you enjoy our new website and we look forward to doing business with you soon.