12:23 pm, December 22, 2022
Dealer group Drive Motor Retail has raised £100,000 in aid of the Ukraine war relief effort.
It ran a nine-month campaign across its 16 UK sites with the figure as the target, pledging to match what staff achieved and with the money going to the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Various events were organised, including a virtual charity race night, a fancy-dress swim in the sea – and one employee raising more than £3,500 alone by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Staff from the franchised dealership’s contact centre also completed a 27-mile sponsored walk from Redcar to Whitby to support the campaign.
Joint managing director Stuart Harrison said: ‘We can’t comprehend what the people of Ukraine are currently experiencing and the sacrifices they are having to make just to ensure their own safety.
‘At Drive, we want to make a difference through charitable events wherever we can.
‘We encouraged all 16 of our UK sites to get employees, customers and local businesses involved as much as possible to raise awareness of the amazing work the Ukraine Disasters Emergency Committee charities do.
‘The response has been amazing, and the commitment and determination shown by the team and their local communities has been incredible.’
Fellow MD Rob Keenan said: ‘Hitting our target of £100,000 before the end of the year is a wonderful achievement.
‘I would like to thank everyone who has taken part in events and done their bit for the cause.’
Other fundraisers included a number of Drive sites cycling the equivalent distance from their dealership to Ukraine by taking shifts on a bike in the showroom, local quiz nights and ‘the world’s longest golf day’.
A spokesperson for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) said: ‘On behalf of the DEC and our member charities, we want to say a huge thank-you to Drive employees for their overwhelming generosity.
‘DEC charities are continuing to deliver food, warmth, clean water and medical care to people in Ukraine and vital support to refugees in neighbouring countries, as this winter many people in Ukraine face the cold without heating or electricity due to damage to the country’s infrastructure.
‘The response to this appeal has been incredibly generous, and I’d like to personally thank everyone at Drive who has donated, raised funds and helped spread the word.
‘Your efforts mean that aid workers will be able to help people affected by this devastating conflict both now and in the months and years to come.’
Drive Motor Retail has the franchises for Vauxhall, MG and Citroen and is one of the UK’s largest privately owned automotive retail groups, with more than 700 members of staff.
Pictured at top from left are head of marketing Emily Mead, Rob Keenan, aftersales director James Godley, Stuart Harrison, and Nikul Patel from the Disasters Emergency Committee
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