[Auto] Auto Trader donates initial £55k to Ben as part of two-year partnership

[_Happy boy]

Auto Trader has announced a new two-year partnership with automotive industry charity Ben, making an initial donation of £55,000 this Christmas.

In addition to significant and regular fundraising, its support for Ben over the period will include a career mentoring programme for people across the industry  as well as volunteering from individuals and teams from across our business to provide a range of technical skills and expertise to help Ben deliver its services.

Auto Trader’s donation this autumn comes at a time when the charity is struggling to cope with the unprecedented levels of demand for its services. Demand that has been driven as a direct result of the global pandemic.

The charity made an earlier rallying cry in an open letter asking automotive industry leaders for funds to ensure it could continue to offer support services to those in need.

Demand for the charity’s services has increased nearly three-fold this year as people struggle to cope with the effects that COVID-19 have had on their lives.

Auto Trader CEO Nathan Coe (pictured)  said: “We’re committed to supporting the industry through these incredibly challenging times in all ways that we are able. The effects of COVID have been and continue to be far-reaching in people’s lives at work and at home, and Ben provides much needed support to those who need it the most. By providing not just our financial support but also through our people providing their skills and technical knowledge, we hope to be able to make a real difference to the work that Ben do.”

Matt Wigginton, fundraising director at Ben, said: “When we issued our appeal to industry leaders, we had no idea Auto Trader would respond so quickly and with such generosity and enthusiasm. We rely on donations to ensure no one in automotive faces life’s toughest challenges alone, and Auto Trader’s significant donation will mean we can make a positive difference to the lives of even more people in our industry.”

Auto Trader will also house post information about the work Ben does on its trade website, as well as regularly promoting Ben’s services to its over 13,000 retailer customer base.