GrapePip receives The Vintners' Benevolent Award for 2016

By Mathew Lyons

Published: 14 January, 2016

Caspar and Victoria Bowes of GrapePip have won The Vintners' Benevolent Award for 2016 for their oustanding commitment to raising both money and awareness for The Benevolent.

Established in 2013, GrapePip is an online wine auction site which aims to be the eBay of wine.

It enables fine-wine drinkers to buy what would otherwise be Bin Ends from wine merchants.

The Bowes set up a 'Lots for Charity' category on GrapePip and encouraged sellers to give the sales proceeds to the Benevolent.

GrapePip raised £10,000 through 'Lots for Charity' last year.

The couple received the award at The Vintners' Annual Wine Trade Lunch in aid of The Benevolent, which took place in Vintners' Hall on January 8 and which traditionally kicks off the wine-trade's events calendar for the new year.

Over 145 key figures from the trade attended the lunch this year and saw The Benevolent chief executive David Cox hand the award to the Bowes.

The event raised over £14,000 for the Benevolent.

Caspar Bowes said: "We were 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."

Cox said: "This was the third year that we have jointly presented this coveted award and GrapePip were extremely worthy winners from a shortlist of three candidates.

"Their initiative was a highly innovative one and we are enormously grateful for the support Caspar and Victoria gave us in 2015."

The Benevolent was founded in 1886 and held its first meeting in Vintners' Hall.

It offers support to current or former members of the drinks trade who are suffering serious medical or financial hardship, or struggling with any other workplace or domestic problems.

It is the only charity to support employees from every sector of the drinks trade, no matter where they were employed or what their personal situation.

The Vintners' Benevolent Award was established in 2013 to acknowledge the work of those who have made an outstanding contribution to furthering the aims of The Benevolent.

Ali Mann of Emma Wellings PR received the award in 2014 for her work in engaging younger professionals in the charity's work.

Last year's recipient was Warren Adamson of Craggy Range, who raised over £4,000 through his 'Ride Across Britain' cycling challenge.

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