Give a little and let charities live a lot

Giveacar, the brainchild of a young graduate from Putney, specialises in encouraging motorists to donate any defunct vehicle.

It arranges for a local contractor to collect the vehicle, usually within two days, free of charge. Then, depending on the vehicle's condition, it is auctioned or scrapped and the parts recycled, with the value going to the donor's charity of choice.

Remarkably, it has just passed the milestone of donating £500,000 to good causes since it was launched.

The latest beneficiary, with a donation of £479.50, was the Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice in Arundel, West Sussex, the latest in a long and varied line of 450 good causes.

A not-for-profit organisation, Giveacar has also raised more than £85,000 for Cancer Research UK, thanks to motorists donating their cars. London charities to have benefited include Great Ormond Street Hospital, Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice, St Mungo's Homeless Charity, Richard House Children's Hospice, the Royal Hospital of Neuro-Disability and many others.

Claudio Tessaro, who was responsible for the Chestnut Tree donation after donating his Toyota Avensis, said: "I didn't know much about how to get rid of an old car so I was really happy to come across the Giveacar scheme. It allowed me to give a great donation to a local hospice doing wonderful work for children with life-threatening
illnesses."

Giveacar says that anyone can use the charity and that cars can be picked up from anywhere in Britain - all it takes is a phonecall. It's not just cars that have contributed to the success of the scheme either; other donations have included a 40-tonne lorry, a jet ski and a horsebox.

The organisation deducts 25 per cent of what it receives from salvage operators to cover running costs and donors are informed of how much their vehicle raised after it has been processed.

Giveacar's manager, Alex Harvey, said: "We are thrilled that we have been able to raise £500,000 in such a short time. I'm particularly glad that, in the run-up to Christmas, we reached this target with a donation to a charity that cares for children in very difficult circumstances.

"Giveacar works because we make it really easy for people to donate their cars and help the causes closest to their hearts. Wherever people live, we can take their car away, break it down and recycle the raw materials, take care of all the paperwork and make sure that the proceeds reach the charity of their choice - it couldn't be simpler."

Mr Harvey added: "We are grateful to all those who have contacted us and asked us to scrap their cars to help their chosen causes. We look forward to doubling what we have so far raised as soon as we can. To do so, we need people to donate their old cars."

If you want to help out and save yourself the bother of disposing of your car, call 020 0011 1664 or visit giveacar.co.uk. It could lead to another round of good news this time next year, for a charity important to you