Online wine auction raises £10k for The Benevolent

By Arabella Mileham

Published: 05 June, 2015

Online wine auction GrapePip has handed over a cheque for £10K to the UK drinks industry charity, The Benevolent.

Online wine auction GrapePip has handed over a cheque for £10K to the UK drinks industry charity, The Benevolent . The money was raised via the Lots for Charity category on its interactive website, whereby sellers agree to donate all sale profits to a nominated charity.

GrapePip launched in 2013 offering an outlet for surplus wines with perfect provenance to be sold to private customers and traders alike; the innovative eBay-style site continues to surpass expectations with last year's trading exceeding £125K. While the exact source of the wine is anonymous, any trading merchants or private vendors are subject to strict approval criteria to enable them to list lots for sale and proof of provenance is required for all wines listed.

Acknowledging the handover, owner Victoria Bowes said: "The Benevolent was the obvious choice for our first charity. Caspar and I have, between us, worked in the wine trade for over 40 years and have come across those who've since needed the support of The Benevolent. We're thrilled that in just over six months we've raised £10K which will go to help fund the vital work of our own trade charity."

David Cox, chief executive of The Benevolent, said he was "absolutely delighted" GrapePip had chosen the Benevolent as their first benefactor. "But never dreamed we'd be receiving such a generous amount," he added, "A huge thanks to Caspar & Victoria and, of course, the anonymous sellers who've made this possible."

The Benevolent was set up more than 129 years' ago and works with industry and charity partners to combat challenging social issues such as long-term illness, homelessness, poverty and disability, as well as providing practical, emotional and financial support to those in the trade in need.

It recently launched its Here to Help campaign to raise awareness of its work, using bite-sized digital and printed messages within drinks firms to highlight what it can offer.

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