Manheim raises over £20,000 for Make-A-Wish UK – and says more is to come

Manheim Auction Services has raised a further £20,467 for children’s charity Make-A-Wish UK with a special auction of donated vehicles and other valuable items.
 
The auction, held at Manheim’s Leeds site on 9 January, saw 22 lots go under the hammer, including cars, football tickets and wine – all donated by Manheim vendors, suppliers and partners. Bidders in the auction also showed their generosity, with the hammer price averaging nearly £1,000 per lot, and one vehicle (a Ford Fiesta) achieving £3,000.
 
As well as hosting the fundraising event, Manheim provided a free collection service for donated vehicles, and waived all auction fees to ensure every penny spent at the auction would go to Make-A-Wish.
 
This is the second auction the team at Manheim Leeds has held to benefit the charity, which grants wishes for children with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition. A previous auction in December 2021 raised £30,000, which means auctions at Manheim Leeds have raised over £50,000 in just 13 months, in addition to that raised by other activities organised by parent company Cox Automotive.
 
With the average wish costing £2,500 to grant, this is the equivalent of over 20 wishes granted.
 
Ben Musther, vendor account manager at Manheim Auction Services, said: “We have strong values as a business, and one of them is always doing the right thing. It’s an honour and a pleasure to support Make-A-Wish. They do something that means a lot to us all: putting a smile back on a child’s face. If we can do that just once, even for an hour, it’s all worth it.
 
“Our colleagues really got behind this auction – not just here in Leeds, but also other branches and teams in head office. It was a real team effort, and supported fantastically by our customers and business partners, whose donations of lots made the whole thing possible.”
 
Ben also revealed that another auction is in the works: “To see the total for the two auctions cross £50,000 really gave us a buzz. Now, we’re working on pushing that total even higher by organising another auction, to take place in January 2024.
 
“We’ve got the foundations in place, and we have secured regular supporters. Our plan is to keep building on this and supporting our charity partners.”
 
Alex Greig, Corporate Partnerships Manager, said: “We’re delighted to have been Cox Automotive’s charity partner for two years now. So many people from the business have lent their time, skills and networks to raise money, from auctions like this to sponsored walks and much more and we are extremely grateful. These fundraising efforts mean we can keep granting wishes for critically ill children, creating hope, happiness and memories families can cherish.”