Inchcape UK chief executive James Brearley described the support delivered by automotive sector charity Ben as “phenomenal” as the AM100 car retail group made a £10,000 donation to the cause.

Yesterday (January 12) Ben revealed that it was adopting TrustFord’s Breakout for Ben fund-raising challenge and taking the event industry-wide in a bid to plug a £1 million funding shortfall this year.

The charity is searching for answers to a funding crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted the cancellation of its annual Ben Ball event alongside a 50% increase in calls for help from automotive sector workers.

Back in October the charity issued an 'urgent plea' to the sector for help to raise £500,000 of essential funds.

Inchcape has now joined the likes of fellow car retail groups Marshall Motor Holdings, TrustFord, Chorley Group and Sytner in donating five-figure sums to help the charity.

Suppliers Auto Trader, MotoNovo, RAC Network and Assurant and the Independent Garage Association (IGA) have also made donations.

Inchcape CEO, Brearley, said: “As a leader I knew I had to support our colleagues both at work and in their personal lives during this pandemic.

“We did everything we could to make sure everyone felt supported, and Ben have helped us with this. I can’t commend the work that Ben does enough.

“The services that Ben offer are phenomenal, and I know so many of our colleagues in the industry would agree that the help they received from Ben has made living with the pandemic that bit easier.

“This gesture from Inchcape will hopefully help to keep Ben running and supporting as many people in the automotive industry as they can. And I really look forward to working with the team there in 2021.”

Matt Wigginton, Ben's fundraising director, said that the charity "could not thank Inchcape UK enough" for its generous donation.

He added: “With our incredible industry behind us, we have now reached over £0.5m following our urgent rallying cry for support in November last year.

“Right now, automotive people are struggling more than ever. That’s why support like this is vital so that no-one in automotive faces life’s toughest challenges alone. We couldn’t do what we do without this incredible support. Thank you.”