Luxury car dealer tops £55k in first charity shoot

A luxury car dealership has raised more than £55,000 in its first ever charity shoot.

The HR Owen Group, which has a Pangbourne dealership, raised money for the children’s heart charity, Chain of Hope.

Teams representing the group’s various manufacturer partners competed in a two-hour clay shoot at Purdey at The Royal Berkshire on Friday, October 7 .

The shoot was followed by a champagne reception, a three course lunch and a headline charity auction.

The auction, presided over by Lord Archer, raised £35,000 with the HR Owen Group donating a further £20,000.

HR Owen CEO, Ken Choo, said: "For many years, HR Owen has been a great supporter of Chain of Hope, sharing their incredible life-saving work with our customers and helping to raise vital funds for children all over the world. "Once again, the generosity of our customers leaves us incredibly humbled."

A team representing Ferrari won the markmanship competition and received engraved cut glass tankards. Prizes for the top gun and top lady included an engraved cut glass decanter and diamond paperweight, while this year’s ‘Clay Conservationists’ were awarded fluffy ducks for their less-than straight shooting.

Bidders also vied for a Four-Ball at The Grove, one of the UK’s most prestigious golf courses, a clay shoot and a bespoke gun fit for two at esteemed gunsmith Perazzi’s London showroom, and an overnight stay and dinner at the luxury Lygon Arms hotel in the Cotswolds.

Oroyo Eubanks, Chain of Hope communications manager, said: "Chain of Hope is extremely proud of the partnership we enjoy with HR Owen. This charity shoot has raised an incredible amount, enough to send our specialist volunteer medical team overseas for a week to carry out heart operations on as many as 12 children suffering from heart disease. A big thank you to all the donors for helping to mend little hearts."

The Chain of Hope charity has delivered life-saving treatment to children across the globe since 1996. It estimates that one child in every 100 is born with a heart defect. Many of these defects can be treated routinely in the developed world, but are a major cause of premature death and illness in countries where these treatments are not readily available.