LKQ UK & Ireland donates £64,000 to UK community causes

LKQ UK & Ireland, a long-standing partner to the automotive aftermarket, has donated more than £64,000 to 139 community organisations across the UK, using its 280-strong LKQ Euro Car Parts branch network to support causes ranging from grassroots sport to palliative care throughout 2024.

The funding was distributed through the company’s Community Branch Fund, launched in 2023 to give local branches the autonomy to back projects and charities that matter most to their colleagues and the communities they serve.

Almost half of the donations nationwide went to sports clubs and initiatives, underlining the role local branches play in sustaining grassroots activity. Support ranged from helping a kickboxing team travel to compete in New York, to providing new training kits for Redcar Town Under-12s Lionesses.

Branches in the South East were the largest contributors, donating more than £12,700 to 24 causes. This included funding specialist equipment for a local hospice, multiple investments in community sports clubs, and a donation to the Childhood Tumour Trust, which supports young people living with neurofibromatosis and enables affected families to attend annual summer camps.

In Yorkshire, donations totalled more than £7,800. Among the recipients was a local food bank supported by colleagues at LKQ Euro Car Parts in Halifax, helping to fund essential items for families in need, including the provision of hot meals every Thursday.

Strong support was also evident in the West Midlands, the company’s home region, where more than £7,500 was donated. This included a contribution from the Tamworth branch to Simon’s Heroes, a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for local children with life-limiting conditions.

Kevan Wooden, CEO at LKQ UK & Ireland, said: “We often fundraise at a national and industry level at LKQ, but the Community Branch Fund allows us to give back to the causes that really matter to our people and their communities.

“The fund aims to make a difference to a huge variety of community groups, charities, hospices, sports teams and more. It’s been great to see our colleagues come together, take a genuine interest in each other’s stories and to support each other’s chosen causes.”

In 2024, LKQ UK & Ireland also saw the completion of its second annual business-wide Summer of FUNdraising, where 23 teams took part in various challenges to raise money for selected charities Ben, Pieta and to bolster ongoing support for the war effort in Ukraine.