Clarksons Annual Charity Giving Day raises £250k for five incredible causes
Clarksons hosted its annual charity giving day on the 12th September. As per tradition, a competitive and sporting challenge saw more than 280 staff from across 10 global offices take part in a “Day At The Races” which, as a result of team’s generous fundraising generated £40,000 in donations. A gala dinner in the evening paid tribute to the charities who were at the heart of our fundraising, generating a grand total of £250,000 for The Clarkson Foundation.
The total raised will go towards five fantastic causes that the Clarkson Foundation has built a strong relationship with, in recent years.
- Spread A Smile focuses on bring joy and laughter to seriously ill children who are in hospital. They do this through bringing entertainers, musicians, magicians, therapy dogs to the bedsides of children so that they can enjoy some happiness with their families.
- School of Hard Knocks uses the power of sport, particularly rugby, to support young people by building confidence, resilience, communication skills, and a sense of belonging through mentoring and teamwork.
- The Lotus Flower helps women and girls who have been displaced by war and impacted by conflict, to rebuild their lives. They do this by providing a safe place where they can learn new income generating skills, alongside the social and mental recovery.
- The Renaissance Foundation supports young patients and carers to fulfil their full potential by providing inspiration, opportunities and experiences that they may otherwise miss out on, as a result of their personal circumstances.
- Dig Deep seeks to solve the water and sanitation crisis in Bomet County, Kenya by implementing clean water solutions, toilets and hygiene education across schools and communities in the region.
Watch the video below to understand more about the charities The Foundation is supporting:
Non-stop energy from global teams
Charity Giving Day at Clarksons is not just about raising funds—it’s a celebration of teamwork, fun, and shared impact. The competitive “Day at the Races” event, featuring teams of ‘jockeys’ riding on stationary bikes in a virtual horse-racing challenge, brought together participants from Houston, London, Geneva, Singapore, and Tokyo in one exhilarating global race. Event Manager Lily Bagshaw shared, “Thanks to the innovative format, we had jockeys racing simultaneously from around the world, creating an incredible sense of unity across our offices. A huge thank you to everyone involved—your energy and enthusiasm made the day truly unforgettable!”
Though the leaderboard remained tight throughout the day, the ultimate champions were the London Dry Cargo team, "Usain Boat."
Going the extra mile
That evening, Clarksons proudly hosted the leaders of the five beneficiary charities at a gala dinner. Staff had the opportunity to meet the charity representatives and hear firsthand about the transformative impact their donations would have. Inspired by this, the charity auction that followed saw overwhelming support, with attendees bidding generously and wholeheartedly in support of the causes.
Jeff Woyda, Chair of The Clarkson Foundation, reflected on the day: