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Category: Charity
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- Ben Ball 2024 to take place on 11th December at Old Billingsgate Market
- Tickets on sale now and sponsorship opportunities available
- Raising funds to support those who are struggling or in crisis
Automotive industry charity, Ben, has launched ticket sales for Ben Ball which will take place at Old Billingsgate Market on 11th December and has a new theme for 2024. Those working in the automotive industry are now officially invited to celebrate Christmas with their friends and colleagues at Ben Ball 2024, supported by Auto Trader.
This year, the event will embrace the era of the roaring ’20s, so guests will experience a night of glitz, glamour, vintage charm and timeless elegance. It’s set to be another amazing night of celebration, awe-inspiring entertainment, networking opportunities and fantastic food.
Ben Ball 2023 was a sell-out with just under 500 automotive industry figures in attendance, so Ben is encouraging the automotive community to book now to avoid missing out on this annual black tie event…
Book tickets now!
Matt Wigginton, Director of Partnerships, Engagement & Income at Ben, said: “We’re inviting our automotive family to join us at Ben Ball 2024 which is set to be another fantastic evening of celebration and entertainment. This year, we’re excited to be stepping back into the iconic era of the 1920s so you can expect a night to remember, full of style and sophistication.
“We continue to support a record number of automotive people due to the cost-of-living crisis which is having a big impact on their health and wellbeing. Ben Ball is a critical fundraising event as it brings in vital donations to change lives and support those who are struggling, while also enabling us to recognise those who have helped us achieve so much during the year. We can’t wait to welcome you to Old Billingsgate Market again this December for the flagship automotive event of the year!”
Ian Plummer, Auto Trader’s Commercial Director, commented: “Once again it’s a huge privilege to be sponsoring the Ball, which not only raises critical funds for those who are most in need of help, but also drives awareness of the incredible work Ben does day in day out. It’s humbling to see so many businesses and individuals from across the industry come together every year, to dig deep, and to support such a vital charity which provides invaluable services to so many of our industry colleagues and friends. The cost-of-living crisis means more people than ever are relying on Ben, so support from across the industry needs to grow even further to match the increased demand. I have no doubt that 2024 will be another huge success.”
To book your tickets now or find out more about becoming a Ben Ball sponsor, click here.
When any member of our automotive family is struggling or in crisis, we all rally to support them.
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Inspired by popular TV series 'Race Across the World', Ben’s epic new fundraising challenge has raised over £100,000 so far for the automotive industry charity to support those struggling or in crisis. This fundraising total includes offline donations and Ben is now calling for final donations.
Race Across Britain is raising vital funds for Ben to support people who work, or have worked, in the automotive industry and was proudly supported by LKQ Euro Car Parts. This fundraising activity is particularly crucial as Ben is supporting a record number of people due to the cost-of-living crisis.
From 26th to 28th February, 27 teams of two from LKQ Euro Car Parts; Alliance Automotive Group; Group 1 Automotive; Vendi Limited; ClickMechanic Ltd; Automotion Events Ltd/Lawgistics; eStar Truck and Van Ltd; Hella Ltd; Messe Frankfurt UK Ltd; Compact Car Centre Ltd; Walsall Wood Tyre & Service; Autotech Recruit Ltd; Rhino Group and GSF Car Parts Ltd showed incredible determination, ingenuity and resolve to complete this challenging event. They travelled from the starting point, LKQ Academy in Tamworth, to six different checkpoints including some major landmarks, Angel of the North, Blackpool North Pier and The London Eye.
Congratulations to the joint winners who finished first, from LKQ Euro Car Parts: ‘The Mavericks’, Tony Shearer and Andy Southby, and ‘Skint Sprint Squad’, Chris O’Rourke and Melanie Lowe.
There were strict rules such as no smart phones, no planes and no plans so participants were tested to the max, covering around 1,300 miles using only public transport or by walking, running and cycling. They also had a strict budget to cover food, travel and accommodation and checkpoints were kept secret until just before they needed to leave so they couldn’t plan or pre-book.
One team got an overnight bus from Blackpool to the London Eye and there were different tasks to complete including VR car spraying at LKQ Tamworth and finding Ben Bears hidden at LKQ Glasgow.
Donate & register interest
You can donate to show your support and register interest for potential future events.
Matt Wigginton, Director of Partnerships, Engagement & Income said: “We’ve been blown away by the success of this event and it was frenetic, exciting, challenging and so much fun! Our participants did incredibly well to complete the challenge and huge congratulations to our two winning teams from LKQ Euro Car Parts who made it to the finish line first, you’re amazing!
“The automotive industry loves some healthy competition, so this was a great way to get together and have fun while also supporting your dedicated industry charity. Fundraising events like this are particularly crucial during a time when Ben is supporting more people than ever due to the cost-of-living crisis.
“Thanks so much to everyone who has taken part and donated to the challenge - we’re now calling for final donations. Donating to Race Across Britain will make a positive difference to people's lives and help those who are struggling, or in crisis, so please donate whatever you can."
Kevan Wooden, Group Chief Executive Officer at LKQ UK and Ireland, said: “It’s been remarkable to see so many colleagues from across the industry come together like this. Both customers and competitors alike have had fun, but more importantly, raised crucial funds for the vital work Ben does. I couldn’t be prouder. See you next year!?”
Whenever any member of our automotive family is struggling, or in crisis, we all rally to support.
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An inclusive workplace welcomes and includes every employee. It ensures that employees feel accepted within the team they work in, across the wider organisation (as applicable) and supports them to thrive doing the work they perform.
In addition, an inclusive workforce is an environment that respects and values the unique traits of all employees and means that each employee can bring their authentic self to work.
Here are my top tips for developing an inclusive workplace:
Start at the top!
Like all workplace initiatives, engagement at a senior level is paramount. Senior leaders should understand and be able to define what being inclusive means and live by this day to day. Without this, developing an inclusive workplace just won’t happen.
In addition to this, senior leaders need to give some of themselves to their workforce and be authentic, as this will help others do the same. This isn’t always easy when you feel you need to keep everything private so as not to blur professional boundaries, but you can still strike a balance. By bringing your whole self to work and sharing the things in life you place value on, you will better connect with your workforce and show others that it’s safe for them to do the same.
Embed it into the organisation
Embedding inclusion into any organisation starts by considering it your mission and vision and ensuring it features in your organisation’s values and ambitions. To truly embed any initiative into an organisation not only requires robust policies and procedures but also ensures that inclusion is considered at every touch point in the employee life cycle. This is from attraction, during the recruitment process through to onboarding, induction, performance management, employee engagement and even when someone leaves the organisation.
Like all initiatives, it’s unlikely to stand the test of time without investment in awareness and engagement. This is why embedding training and development specifically to maintain an inclusive culture should be a continuous focus from induction and throughout an employee’s length of service.
Embrace diversity
Inclusivity is often considered to be the next step in supporting a diverse workforce so creating and embracing a diverse workforce is a great starting point for any organisation. Given that diversity is the collective mix of employee differences and similarities which, outside of any protected characteristics, even includes individual characteristics, values, beliefs, experience, backgrounds, preferences, and behaviours. On this basis, no matter where an organisation’s starting point is, every organisation has diversity in their workforce now. Understanding your workforce and getting to know your people is key to opening up an inclusive culture.
Think ‘employee experience’
Traditionally, organisations talk about employee engagement, referring to the strength of mental and emotional connection that employees feel towards the work they do, their teams and their organisation. Having a stronger focus on employee experience will not only enhance employee engagement but it also fosters a sense of belonging and community. This requires an organisation, its leaders, and managers to really think about the physical and psychological environment people work in. This includes the facilities and signage provided and used on-site; the way communication is managed and shared; language being adopted by everyone; celebrating a range of diverse events; awareness campaigns and dates in the calendar.
The employee experience also includes encouraging openness; welcoming and pro-actively seeking people’s thoughts, feedback and ideas; helping them build personal skills or introducing the right forums for those who may not be able to do this, to really enable a contribution by all. Ultimately, if everyone working for an organisation is more mindful of the employee experience it will enhance what it feels like to work there. The employee experience is everyone’s responsibility, not just senior leaders or managers.
Keep inclusion moving
Inclusion can’t be static; it needs to keep moving, evolve and continually develop over time. An organisation needs to stay closely connected to its workforce to ensure it continues to move with it. It’s key to make inclusion an intentional habit for everyone, meaning that employees are reminded of this on a frequent basis and it becomes part of the organisation’s DNA. Finding the best way to quantify and measure inclusion as an organisation is also a critical success factor.
To find out more about how Ben can support your organisation and the health and wellbeing of your employees, contact Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben: [email protected].
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Ben has just released a new short film as part of a Christmas appeal so the charity can provide vital support to even more automotive families who are struggling, or in crisis, this winter. 
Inspired by popular supermarket Christmas TV advertisements, Ben’s new film aims to raise £300,000 throughout December and January to ensure that automotive families don’t go without.
The new film uses the tagline ‘When you give a little, we can change a lot’ and focuses on a family who are struggling to make ends meet.
Ben is calling on those in the industry to share the film and donate as much as they can afford to help the charity provide life-changing support for automotive families. This year, there will be many more people worried about keeping the roof over their heads and heat in their homes, as well as putting food on the table. Funds raised will also bring gifts to go under the tree and put smiles on faces this Christmas.
Watch the film now!
Click here
The film was created, directed and produced by creative agency, MOREVER.
Over the last 12 months, Ben supported 231 households who couldn’t afford to put food on the table or heat their homes and an additional 103 households who would have otherwise become homeless. And, as part of last year’s Christmas families project, Ben supported 78 families who were struggling financially - a total of 118 adults and 99 children. The charity also wants to ensure automotive people know they can turn to Ben if they need support.
Matt Wigginton, Director of Partnerships, Engagement & Income, said: “Times are tough, really tough, and there are thousands more people in our automotive industry who urgently need our support. Every year, more people are turning to Ben. Too many people are struggling to make ends meet and keep their families warm and safe this winter. Please share our new film far and wide and give as much as you can afford so we can be there for those who need us. On behalf of all the families who will benefit from our Christmas appeal, thank you. You may never know the people it helps, but we want you to know the difference it makes.
“Together, we can make a life-changing, often life-saving, difference to the lives of our automotive family.”
Ben is here for our industry people this winter so if you work, or have worked, in the automotive industry we urge you to get in touch now if you’re at breaking point via our free and confidential helpline. Ben is already supporting many automotive families in the run up to Christmas. Don't suffer in silence, contact our helpline: 08081 311 333 or use our webchat at www.ben.org.uk. You can also access Ben’s out of hours text support line by texting BEN to 85258.
When any member of our automotive family is struggling or in crisis, we all rally to support them.
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Automotive industry charity, Ben, has launched its new Health & Wellbeing survey for 2023 and is encouraging everyone who works, or has worked, in the industry to share their experiences, with the chance to win a £500 Amazon voucher. The survey is confidential and takes around 10 minutes to complete.
Ben’s annual survey helps the industry charity understand what health & wellbeing-related issues have been affecting automotive industry people over the past 12 months. Ben then uses the information collected to ensure the charity provides the support services people need now and in the future.
By taking part, respondents also enable Ben to let automotive employers know what health & wellbeing support employees would like to see in their workplace. The aim is to directly help individuals, as well as helping build a more supportive and resilient automotive industry.
Help us to help you - take the survey now!
To help Ben support you and your colleagues now and in the future, take part in the survey: click here.
Last year’s survey indicated that:
- 99% of automotive workers were personally affected by a health and wellbeing issue over the 12-month period
- Stress was the most common issue (66%), followed by poor sleep and low mood
- Anxiety and depression issues are more common in the automotive industry than in the rest of the UK working population (1 in 3 versus 1 in 6)
- High workload was the biggest driver of stress in the workplace.
Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben, said: “We would like as many people as possible from our industry family to take part in our annual survey so we can gain vital insights into what’s currently going on from a health & wellbeing perspective. This then enables us to focus our efforts on supporting people in the right way, with the right resources. Help us to help you and take the survey now! Just 10 minutes of your time will make a massive difference to our understanding of the needs across our industry, and ultimately the health and wellbeing of our automotive family.”
Ben is here for those who work, or have worked, in the automotive industry and their family dependents. If you need support, get in touch via our free and confidential helpline: 08081 311 333 or use our webchat at www.ben.org.uk. You can also access Ben’s out of hours text support line by texting BEN to 58258.
For employers who would like to find out more about working in partnership with Ben, or who would be interested in discussing Health & Wellbeing support for employees contact Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben: [email protected].
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