As it’s such a different way to donate to a good cause, we often wonder what it is that may have prompted people to donate their car to a particular charity. We reached out to some of the lovely people that have chosen to use Charity Car so we could share their car donation stories with you…
“My old car was a very special part of my life. Twenty years ago my husband Ken and I bought it new – we needed a car that would easily carry our daughter’s cello. It had beige leather seats, electric adjustable seats and a roof that opened – perfect for our whippet Eddie. It was a family workhorse and never let us down.
We did think about replacing it in 2018, but I couldn’t bear to part with it, and anyway although getting old it was still creaming along. Then last year my husband died. He had survived a soft tissue sarcoma on his knee for 13 years, a cancer that the doctors told us might spread to his lungs. He couldn’t walk far, and radiotherapy had made his bone unable to heal after he broke his leg in a fall, but he never complained, although he had been a rock climber and great walker.
Then at the beginning of 2023 the cancer spread to his lungs and tissues and he began chemotherapy, but we were told he had only 12 months to live. He didn’t quite make it. He died at home with his family, with the wonderful help of Sue Ryder Hospice at Home carers, on January 4th 2024. His first grandchild, Sam, was born three weeks after he died.
In the following May my dear old whippet had to be put to sleep, at the age of 15. Somehow my ageing Honda Accord was a link to them both. But by then it had done over 335,000 miles, and although the engine was still fine, there was corrosion and problems with the rest of the car. I knew I had to replace it. But I couldn’t bear to see it go for scrap – the garage said they’d give me £50 for it. Those lovely leather seats, the walnut dashboard, the huge level boot that so many happy picnics – how could I just let it go like that? So I searched the internet and found Charity Car. I could donate whatever value it might still have to Cancer Research – Charity Car would handle everything.
So one afternoon a man with a truck came to take it away. I don’t know if my tears were just for my dear old car, or for Ken too, for Eddie, for the old life I had lost forever. I did sit in it before the man with the truck arrived, and the passenger window wouldn’t go up – was it trying to tell me it was time to go? But Charity Car made the loss much easier to bear. It has given something back: £144 to Cancer Research.”
Diana – donated her Honda Accord to Cancer Research UK
The Charity Car team was so moved by Diana’s story. We were obviously delighted that the our service made donating the car easier for Diana after having endured so much loss, but we know it was using her Honda to support a vital cause that made her experience so positive. Diana’s donated car will help fund Cancer Research UK’s vital work and she will always know her beloved Honda Accord had a purposeful end.
“We are profoundly touched by Diana’s story and deeply grateful for her generous donation. Diana’s Honda held years of cherished family moments and personal history. To see it transformed into a gift that supports life-saving research is incredibly moving. Diana’s kindness honours the memory of Ken and Eddie while helping to create a future where more families can face cancer with hope. Thank you for giving so meaningfully, Diana. Your generosity truly accelerates our progress towards beating cancer.” Cancer Research UK
Diana chose Cancer Research UK to receive the donation from her scrap car. One in two people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, but Cancer Research UK’s vital work will help ensure that millions more people survive. That is achieved by funding world-class research, providing information for patients, health professionals and the public, and influencing public policy to keep cancer at the top of the health agenda. This life-saving work is entirely funded by the public and these old car donations are a great source of vital funds.
If you are thinking about donating an old car, you can find out more about how it works or go straight to looking at which one of our wonderful charity partners you’d choose to donate it to!
If you’ve donated an old car to charity and that car, or the person that drove it, had an interesting story, or maybe the charity you chose is close to your heart for a special reason, we’d love to hear from you – your donation stories drive the Charity Car team.
