National motor retailer, Lookers, has raised a monumental £215,755 for automotive charity Ben through the annual Industry Leader Challenge set by the charity.
The total is the biggest reached in the three-year history of the challenge, which is given each year to a business leader within the automotive sector to raise vital funds for the charity to help support those within the industry that have fallen on hard times.
This year it was the turn of Lookers’ Chief Executive, Andy Bruce, who, together with staff from across Lookers, took on the ‘Lookers Electric Charge’.
The challenge involved driving across the UK using only electric and hybrid cars and visiting all 155 of the group’s dealerships, from Charles Hurst in Dublin in May to its final stop at Mercedes-Benz of Eastbourne.
The cars, which ranged from a Nissan Leaf to the brand-new Jaguar I-PACE travelled over 2,000 miles to destinations that also included the iconic Ford factory in Dagenham and the Jaguar plant in Castle Bromwich.
The six-month fundraising challenge has not only raised a significant sum of money for Ben but has helped to raise awareness of electric cars among Lookers’ customers.
As well as putting these cars to the test, staff across the business took part in a wide range of fundraising activities, ranging from carbon neutral days and green energy workshops to test drive events and golf days.
The total raised for the Ben Industry Leadership Challenge was announced at the glittering Ben Ball at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London, with Andy Bruce handing over a cheque alongside Lookers’ mascot, Lucky the dog.
He also passed on the Industry Leader Baton for next year to Jon Wakefield, MD, Volvo Car UK; Darren Guiver, UK MD, Group 1 Auto; and Tim Tozer, CEO, Allianz Partners.
Andy Bruce said: “The Lookers Electric Charge has been a huge success, not just because of the fantastic amount that we have managed to raise, but in the way that so many people across our business took the challenge to their hearts and came up with some ingenious fundraising ideas. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their enthusiasm and commitment as well as their time and huge effort, without which this incredible achievement just wouldn’t have been possible.”
