RAC network and the Assurant Foundation have made a £20,000 charitable donation to Ben in the latest show of support for the automotive benevolent charity.

The donation is made up of a £10,000 Christmas donation by the RAC Dealer Network which was match-funded by The Assurant Foundation, the charitable arm of Assurant, which partners with the RAC in the warranty and aftersales sector.

Kellie Grocott, the recently-appointed RAC director of sales at Assurant, said: “Many people are finding themselves in high levels of need and that includes some who are, or have been, employed in the motor industry.

“2020 has been no ordinary year and, as an organisation, we committed to giving back to the sector in which we work.

“We are very pleased to be able to make this donation on behalf of the 1,400 members of the RAC Dealer Network and The Assurant Foundation.

“Ben is an extremely worthwhile charity with which most people in the motor industry are familiar, and the good work it does is very well known and widely respected.”

Earlier this month AM reported that Ben had received pledges worth around £0.5m following an urgent appeal for support to plug a £1m funding gap in November.

The Independent Garage Association (IGA) donated £20,000 to the charity, joining TrustFord which also donated £20,000.

Auto Trader and Chorley Group also responded to the plea, each delivering five-figure donations to the charity.

Marshall Motor Holdings, meanwhile, pledged a £10,000 donation to Ben as part of a 'Xmas Do-nation' charity campaign launched by MotorVise to plug the charity's funding shortfall.

MotorVise announced it would be handing over the £1,000 it intended to spend on its Christmas 'do'.

Ben reports it’s seen a 50% increase in demand against the backdrop of a £1m income shortfall and the newly-donated funds will allow it to continue providing support after fears that "difficult decisions" might have to be made about certain services.

Commenting on the latest pledge of support, from the RAC Network and Assurant, Matt Wigginton, fundraising director at Ben, said: “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for our services is growing at a time when our income has fallen.

“We are extremely grateful to the RAC Dealer Network and The Assurant Foundation for their very generous support. This donation will help Ben to ensure no-one in automotive has to face life’s toughest challenges alone. We couldn’t do that without you.”