Bangers4ben
Raising money for charity can be great fun
BEN is the automotive industry’s ‘own’ charity – a cause set up to help and assist those who work in the car industry at times of crisis, offering everything from palliative care to financial support.
If you’re a vehicle repairer, salesperson, back-office employee, driver, restorer or marketeer, BEN is there for you. Find out more at ben.org.uk, but that will only tell you what they do and where the money goes.
But BEN doesn’t just rattle tins and hope for donations. It’s a vibrant and fun organisation run by passionate and engaged individuals.
One such example is the Bangers4ben annual charity rally, where the great and the good of the automotive industry buy an old car for less than £750, decorate it to a theme and head to a mystery location with various challenges and tasks to complete en route. Previous venues have seen the Bangers head to the Swiss Alps, Italy, France, Germany and some of the
most spectacular roads in the UK.
It’s a great laugh (we’ve done it three times) and raises vast sums for BEN’S coffers. More than £300k has been donated so far in entry fees, fundraising and the sale of the cars after the event – a service provided by British Car Auctions that sees all of the cars auctioned free of any commission charges.
The brains behind the event, Andy Entwistle, was helped to form B4B during his time as managing director of a publishing company, but now organises the event for BEN via his Automotion Events company that runs the British Motor Show. He said: ‘Bangers4ben is an event like no other and a great event to take part in if you
enjoy the company of good-humoured people and unusual cars. It is a great laugh, and some of the cars that turn up are as weird and wonderful as the characters who drive them. After all, the car industry is populated by petrolheads, and there’s often a real drive for the teams to outdo each other with the novelty of their vehicles.’
In recent years, the B4B fleet has seen vehicles as diverse as a London Taxi, Rover 218D, 1989 Toyota Corolla, Reliant Robin and Ligier Ambra Microcar plotting their way across Europe, raising funds for those less fortunate than themselves.
This year’s event takes place on October 8-12 and while the final destination remains a mystery, Andy says that it will leave competitors shaken, but not stirred. The entry fee is £650 per car for a team of two people. To enter, go to tinyurl. com/5mj2rfpu or drop Andy an email at enquiries@ automotion.live. Trust us – you won’t regret it.
Andrew Evanson Senior Ops Manager ‘Those who put in a shift for charity don’t seek recognition. All the more reason they should receive it. Lancaster is proud to support these pages.’