Charity Celebrations at the Ben Ball

Ben, the automotive charity, held its annual flagship black tie event, Ben Ball, on 7^th December – and Dawsongroup Open Hands was honoured to attend.

Following the resounding success of Dawson Drive in July this year, which raised £25,885 for Ben, ten people were invited to attend Ben Ball as a thank you for all their hard work towards the event. Along with Marijke Moriarty, Head of People Services, and Nadine Lewis, Senior People Services Advisor, who planned and organised the Dawson Drive event, key people from each location on the charity drive route were invited to the ball. These were the employees who organised the various activities and put together teams to ensure the day ran smoothly and was a complete success.

The proud attendees were: Krishma Tailor, People Services Advisor; James Birkitt, Operations Manager for Dawsongroup material handling; Simon Fox, Fleet Services Team Leader for Dawsongroup material handling; Lloyd Gibson, Regional Sales Manager North for Dawsongroup bus and coach; India Causer, Service Controller for Dawsongroup TCS; Kai Saville, Operations Apprentice for Dawsongroup TCS; Alex Lees, Development Manager for Dawsongroup power solutions; and Mark Munt, Branch Manager for Dawsongroup vans.

The spectacular event took place in Old Billingsgate Market, London, and was supported by AutoTrader. Attendees were treated to a three-course meal, updates on recent charity events, a thrilling performance by West End 2 U, and a moving story about a member of the automotive community. Auctions took place throughout the evening, raising a staggering £120,000 – truly testament to the passion and generosity of our automotive family. The money raised will ensure that Ben can continue to support those in the industry who are struggling or in crisis, as well as their family dependents.

“Listening to all the speeches and watching the inspiring videos, we could see that our contribution is making a difference,” said Nadine. “Every table at the ball was equally as passionate about Ben as everyone else, and everyone genuinely wants to help. All the Dawsongroup staff who attended were happy to be there, and we all joined in with singing the Twelve Days of Christmas with the rest of the guests. I felt very proud of everyone who took part in Dawson Drive and raised money for such a good cause.”

“Attending the Ben Ball showed that we’re part of something important and we’re making a real difference to people,” said Marijke. “I’m proud of Dawsongroup and all we’ve done this year for Ben. Everyone who came to the ball was fantastic, had a really good time and wants to be more involved in charity events in the future. It also showed us that we can’t stop what we’re doing, as Ben is a much-needed charity.”

Find out more about Ben – Support for Life, Dawsongroup Open Hands, or working with Dawsongroup.