1:54 pm, December 8, 2021
Auto Trader has made a £55,000 donation to Ben just as the automotive industry charity gets set to put on its annual Ball.
It’s the second consecutive year Auto Trader has made a December donation to Ben, and comes at a time when the charity is experiencing record demand for its services, which includes vital support for a range of issues, including mental and physical health, poverty, domestic abuse and homelessness.
The Ben Ball, with Auto Trader has headline sponsor, kicks off tonight (Dec 8) at the The Roundhouse in London.
The fundraising ball returns to the venue after last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
It was the first time the event was cancelled since the Second World War and left a £1m hole in Ben’s fundraising.
As headline sponsor, Auto Trader’s CEO, Nathan Coe (pictured), will give a short speech, during which he’ll highlight the enormous contribution Ben has made in supporting the industry since the start of the pandemic, and urge guests to dig deep at this critical time for the charity.
Announcing the news of the donation, Coe said: ‘Over the course of nearly two years, the industry has shown incredible resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges.
‘While we can all be grateful for how well our industry has performed over this period, we must not lose sight of the profound impact the pandemic has had on many of our colleagues and friends.
‘Without Ben’s remarkable commitment, I have no doubt that the industry would have struggled to respond so effectively to Covid.
‘As the numbers calling on its services this year reaches record levels, donations and support from all of us in the automotive industry has never been more important.
‘I hope this donation on behalf of all of us at Auto Trader will help Ben in its efforts to provide life-changing support to those facing crisis.’
Auto Trader also said it intends to launch a major fundraising campaign to support Ben next spring.
Matt Wigginton, fundraising director at Ben, said: ‘Since we started working more closely with Auto Trader last year our partnership has flourished.
‘Their people have become advocates, champions and volunteers, supporting our work in many ways, for which we are incredibly grateful. The generous donation, made to our Christmas Appeal, will help us to support many more people at a time when they need Ben more than ever.
‘We already have big plans for joint projects in 2022 and we’re excited to continue working with the Auto Trader team.’
