GrapePip founders scoop Benevolent award

The founders of the online wine auction site GrapePip have scooped this year’s Benevolent Award for their “outstanding commitment” to the wine trade charity.

Caspar and Victoria Bowes (centre) with The Benevolent CEO David Cox (right)

Caspar and Victoria Bowes were presented with the award at The Vintners’ annual wine trade lunch in aid of The Benevolent at Vintners Hall in London.

The pair raised £10,000 for The Benevolent via their Lots for Charity category on GrapePip, where sellers are encouraged to donate the proceeds of all sales to support colleagues in need.

They also helped raise awareness of The Benevolent to their customers and colleagues and were honoured for being “vocal proponents of the charity’s work”.

“We’re absolutely delighted to win this award. We continue to auction wines for charitable causes via our Lots for Charity channel and hope that members of the wine trade will use it on an ongoing basis to clear unwanted stocks for a good cause, and designate The Benevolent as the beneficiary,” Caspar Bowes said.

David Cox, chief executive of The Benevolent, added: “GrapePip are extremely worthy winners. Their initiative was a highly innovative one and we are enormously grateful for the support Caspar and Victoria gave us in 2015.”

The Vintners’ Benevolent Award was established by The Trade Liaison Committee of the Vintners’ Company in 2013.

Past winners have included Ali Mann of Emma Wellings PR and Warren Adamson of Craggy Range for his “Ride Across Britain” cycling challenge that raised over £4,000 for members of the UK drinks industry facing serious medical or financial hardship. The Benevolent lunch at Vintners Hall raised £14,000 for the charity.