The Peter Cooper Foundation - £325,441 raised so far

Driving Charities. Driving Change.

The Peter Cooper Motor Group has launched their own Charity Foundation to mark 40 years in business.

Founded in 1981, the Group has grown from strength to strength, now operating 14 successful businesses across eight locations, just under 250 members of staff and over 40,000 loyal customers.

“Our businesses have always supported local business and communities and we have always taken pride in how much we support and raise for charity.

Prior to the launch of our Foundation, we rarely showed others the good work that we've been involved with and what we have raised over a 40+ year period. Hence why our Foundation was introduced! Our aim was to bring all our charitable activities under one umbrella, giving us a long term strategy to our charitable work in the community, and our Foundation has helped us do just that.”

Darren continued, “Our Foundation, born in 2021, was set up to mark our 40th anniversary and all our charity work for the years ahead. It also marked the pain and suffering caused by the Coronavirus crisis, especially for our charities. As part of marking our 40th anniversary and the set up of our Foundation, we also raised £40,000.

Charities need our help now more than ever and we look forward to continuing supporting them and making a difference.

Two charities very close to my heart are Cancer Research UK and JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). We have chosen to support Cancer charities since June 2011, when my mother, Lyn, was terminally diagnosed with cancer and given the tragic news of a 5-6 month life expectancy.

We sought a second opinion and was introduced to some very specific and ground breaking treatments that firstly killed the brain tumour she had and then maintained and controlled other cancerous cells in the body.
The money we continue to raise will go towards the much needed research to continue with our quest of beating all major strands of cancer.

The other charity is JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Type 1 Diabetes is a condition that everyone is familiar with, but one that many don’t often appreciate the life changing symptoms it places on people’s lives, especially children.

My daughter was unfortunately diagnosed with type 1 in 2018 and I for one didn’t appreciate how it turns a child’s life upside down. The injections and monitoring around everyday life that they have to do is relentless and I want to help speed up the day when type 1 diabetes can be easily controlled.

Together we can make a huge difference!"





Feeding Chair donated by Peter Cooper Foundation. Our after-sales staff member Glen and his spouse Mae spent three months caring for their prematurely born baby Mateo at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth.

It became evident that the ward lacked resources after three months of working with the wonderful medical personnel and the Ickle Pickle charity. Glen contacted Darren Cooper, managing director of PCMG, who agreed without hesitation to buy a new feeding chair, donating £1683

Photo: Ickle Pickle - Becky - Glen, Mae, and Mateo
PCMG WERE PROUD SPONSORS FOR THE SAINTS FOUNDATION DINNER - Raised £143k We felt honoured to be one of the official sponsors of the Saints Foundation dinner that raised £143k last week. As a proud patron, it's been brilliant to see first-hand the positive work the team there does in the local community.
Peter Cooper Motor Group donation supports children with severe disabilities in Southampton The Peter Cooper Motor Group has donated £1,500 to Rosewood, a specialist school for children and young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

It’s all part of the work the company does through the Peter Cooper Motor Group Foundation, which supports and donates money to organisations, charities and good causes on the south coast.
This donation has enabled Rosewood to acquire a state-of-the-art sensory tent, providing an innovative and immersive environment for the students. The sensory tent empowers staff to control the surrounding colours, fostering the development of essential looking skills and enhancing communication capabilities for the children.
Zoe Evans, Head Teacher at Rosewood, expressed her gratitude, stating: "We are incredibly thankful for the generosity shown by the Peter Cooper Motor Group. This donation has allowed us to create a unique and stimulating space within our school, significantly impacting the learning experiences of our students. The sensory tent will play a crucial role in fostering their development and enhancing their overall well-being.
“The population of children has grown over recent years and the need for more specialist resources has also increased.”

Rosewood Free School, based in Aldermoor Road in Southampton, is a day school for pupils aged 2-19 years with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). The school accepts pupils from all over Hampshire. It caters for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties between the ages of two and nineteen years. There are currently 66 pupils on roll.

Darren Cooper, Managing Director of Peter Cooper Motor Group, emphasised the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility and community support. "At the Peter Cooper Motor Group, we believe in giving back to the communities that have supported us over the years. We are delighted to contribute through our Foundation to the Rosewood school and support the incredible work they do in providing specialised education and care for children with profound learning disabilities. I have personally witnessed how the sensory tent will enhance the student’s experience and provide a supportive, stimulating and responsive environment."
The Peter Cooper Motor Group Foundation remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that make a positive impact on communities. This recent donation to Rosewood exemplifies the Foundation's commitment to fostering education, inclusivity, and the overall well-being of children, young people and adults facing unique challenges.
Pictured Zoe Evans, Head teacher at Rosewood, Siddhi Patil and Darren Cooper, and Managing Director at the Peter Cooper Motor Group
Ex-Saints Helps Raise Money For Chris Nicholas (Dementia Charity) - Raised: £4,200 so far We were thrilled to be able to help support, and watch the charity game between the Ex-Saints and ... for Chris Nicholas, Dementia Charity, which has so far raised £4,200 and is expected to raise additional money.
THE ODD BALL - A SNEAK PREVIEW OF WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE NIGHT "The Odd Ball, a charity event which has raised tens of thousands of pounds over the years for projects at Southampton Children’s Hospital, is all set to make a rocking comeback next month.

Sarah Parish was joined by Peter Cooper Motor Group managing director Darren Cooper and Sam Robson from the charity in a sneak preview of what to expect on the night." The Daily Echo

We are honoured to return and lend our support!
THE PETER COOPER MOTOR GROUP 42ND BIRTHDAY On the 28th September we celebrated Peter Cooper Motor Group's 42nd birthday across all our sites. What an amazing day it was!
THE GRAND GOLF DAY - Raised Content
WINCHESTER HALF MARATHON - Raised It was all smiles in the morning as the pace runners prepared for the Winchester Half Marathon in September!
Youth Options Charity Golf Day at Remedy Oak Golf Club - Raised We were proud to have supported our wonderful partner Youth Options on Tuesday at Remedy Oak Golf Club, to help raise money and awareness of Youth Options.

A fantastic charity that we are incredibly proud to have worked with!

We were fortunate to have had the perfect weather for our golf day too!
THE KNIGHTS FOUNDATION, AEROBILITY - Raised £900 Darren Cooper, Managing Director, visited Blackbushe Airport to support and donate £900 on behalf of our Peter Cooper Foundation for the Knights Foundation, which provides support and gifts to disabled children, seriously ill children, and their families. The day was organised to give disabled children the chance to learn how to fly a plane! An experienced instructor takes one child and one parent up for 30 minutes and teaches them all about flying and even lets them have a go flying the plane itself! It's an amazing sensory experience for the children, who may not have ever been up in a plane before. They cater for all disabilities, even wheelchair users who are in need of a hoist; they have it all!
UNIQUE FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE AT THE STAPLEWOOD TRAINING GROUND On Friday 18th August 2023, five winners, each accompanied with a guest, experienced a training session with two of the famous academy coaches, followed by a full tour of the Staplewood Training Facilities.

Thank you to our incredible partner, Southampton Football Club, for helping us organise and be able to put on this brilliant opportunity!
SOUTH WINCHESTER GOLF DAY SUPPORTING HEARTBEAT FOUNDATION - Raised We were at the South Winchester Golf Club in August, sponsoring the Heartbeat Foundation golf day to help raise money and awareness for one of our partners, Heartbeat Foundation, and the incredible charity.
Gold Sponsor for the Musicals from the Heart 30th Birthday Celebration - We were incredibly honoured to have been the Gold Sponsor for the Musicals from the Heart 30th Birthday Celebration in September 2023!

Mark, CEO of UK Heartbeat who supports cardiac care throughout the South, joined Darren Cooper, Managing Director, at our Peter Cooper Hedge End location.

For just over 25 years, PCMG have been a steadfast sponsor of the Wessex Heartbeat Charity.

We continue to help and support their initiatives in raising money.
The Odd Ball 2023 - Glam Rock We are the supporting partner of the Odd Ball 2023 Event:
GLAM ROCK!
DEMENTIA SUPPORT TRACK DAY What a fantastic day supporting the Dementia Support Track Day at Goodwood Motor Circuit. Despite the gloomy weather in summer time, we managed to raise loads of money for a fantastic charity, along with lots of fast laps on the track!
Peter Cooper Motor Group Supports St Wilfrid's Hospice With £850 Donation Peter Cooper Motor Group were thrilled to have been able to support St Wilfred's Hospice on the 11th of July 2023. Darren Cooper, Managing Director "The Hospice supplies a wide range of services, from physical, emotional and social support to people within the community and it's a pleasure to be able to offer our support in continuing their great work."

Peter Cooper Motor Group are delighted to donate £850 to St Wilfrid’s Hospice to cover the cost of a week’s worth of physiotherapy to help their patients maintain their strength, mobility, and independence.

Richard Vandenburg, Brand Manager, Chichester Volkswagen, was delighted to be able to present a cheque of £850 to St Wilfrid's Hospice.
PETER COOPER MOTOR GROUP FOUNDATION GOLF DAY- Raised: £21,050 What a fantastic day at Goodwood on 13th June 2023! We are over the moon with the support and how brilliant all our participants have been! We had some fabulous prizes waiting for the victors, as well as a fabulous auction, raffle prizes, and team awards. Our Peter Cooper Golf Day was set up to raise money for the Peter Cooper Foundation, supporting local people in need and charities across the south coast. We were very proud to be supported by our incredible sponsors! Unfortunately, we could only have one winner!

Watch the video to see who won. https://youtu.be/TYkLSJ70CeU

We could not have achieved this success without all our sponsors help and support! From everyone at Peter Cooper, thank you!
PETER COOPER MOTOR GROUP TEAM TAKE ON A 10,000 FOOT TANDEM SKYDIVE FOR YOUTH OPTIONS - Raised Our brilliant Peter Cooper Motor Group Aftersales Manager, John, accepted the challenge of a skydive to raise money for a fantastic charity and one of our partners, Youth Options. John's first skydive involved a 10,000-foot tandem jump, approximately 1.8 miles in the sky, and 30 seconds of freefall at a speed of 125 mph.
BOGNOR REGIS TOWN YOUTH FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT - Raised A big well done to all of the teams, players, officials, and volunteers who made the Bognor Regis Town Youth Football Tournament such a success over the past two weekends. 

Over 200 teams competed across the weekends, bringing grassroots football to so many children, which is what these tournaments are all about. 

We are proud to have been able to support you and look forward to next year’s tournament.
SILENT AUCTION! Raised - Peter Cooper Motor Group arranged a silent auction in June 2023 to raise funds for a local charity, Chichester Boys Club, for a 4-ball at the glorious Goodwood Downs course, which included buggies on the day.

Due to the price of the prize, we set a minimum bid of £200.
OSCAR'S SPECIAL DAY MEETING THE SOUTHAMPTON FOOTBALL TEAM AT THE STAPLEWOOD TRAINING GROUND Oscar's Special Day Meeting the Southampton Football Team at the Staplewood Training Ground, courtesy of the Peter Cooper Motor Group Foundation, Junior McDougald, Sports Connections Foundation, CO-Founder & CEO, was put in touch with Darren Cooper, Managing Director for Peter Cooper Motor Group, to arrange a special day for Oscar. Oscar is 8 years old and was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy – Type 1, also known as Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. SMA causes a lack of growth in the muscles, which, as well as affecting Oscar's body growth and movement (Oscar uses a specially adapted wheelchair to get around in), also greatly affects the respiratory system, causing problems with breathing, swallowing, coughing, clearing the chest, and lots of respiratory infections. Life expectancy for a child born with SMA Type 1 is usually only up to the age of about 1 or 2 years old, so this is a true testament to just what a little fighter Oscar truly is and why we were keen to get him this lifetime experience.

Alongside Oscar's special day meeting the Southampton football team and experiencing driving a Ferrari, it was topped off when Oscar received his signed SFC shirt and was topped off when Oscar received his signed shirt and was taken to watch his first-ever Saints game!

We were honoured to be able to offer these opportunities to Oscar and his family and put that huge smile on his face.
THE BIG BIKE CHALLENGE - Raised The Big Bike Challenge was a challenge organised by the Saints Foundation founded by Southampton Football Club, with Support from partner the Peter Cooper Motor Group, who helped raise the profile of the Big Bike Challenge, to help raise money for the Saints Foundation. Peter Cooper Motor Group supported the riders throughout their whole 250 mile journey cycling from Anfield back to St Mary’s Stadium, the home of Southampton Football Club. One of the riders who took part was Sam McQueen.
MARK Ind PRESENTING DARREN COOPER WITH A WESSEX HEART FOR THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THEIR CHARITY Mark Ind presenting Darren Cooper with a Wessex Heart for the ongoing support of their charity.

Wessex Heartbeat funded and continued to fund the UK's first specialist 3D cardiac modelling software. This allows surgeons to get an accurate 3D printed model of children's hearts before surgery, to provide additional insight before operating!

We are so proud to support a charity that really does change lives.

To donate and support this fantastic charity: https://www.heartbeat.co.uk/donate/raise-money-for-3d-modelling
EX-SAINTS VS HAMBLE POLICE - Raised: £TBC The Peter Cooper Motor Group are proud to continue are support of the Ex-Saints footballers who play various charity football matches to raise money for local charities.
Players including James Beattie, Glenn Cockerill, Jo Tessem and Francis Benali turned out on Friday 19th May to play against a Hamble Police XI to raise money for several local charities including Wessex Regional Care, Abby's Heros, Sophie's Appeal, The Honeypot Children's Charity, Mountbatten Hospice & Dementia Support. Keep an eye on the Peter Cooper Motor Group Social media channels, as the Ex-Saints have another half dozen more games across the south coast over the summer period.
HEARTBEAT FOUNDATION - Raised £23,876 The Peter Cooper Motor Group visited Remedy Oak Golf Club in Bournemouth on May 2nd 2023 to support and participate in a fundraising event for our partner Heartbeat Foundation. Our very own Darren Cooper, Managing Director, prepared for a day on the 18 hole golf course as the sun shone, kicking the day off with a bacon roll and coffee on arrival and later a pit stop at the renowned 'Wessex Heartbeat half-way house Gin Bar'. The golf tournament had a fantastic turnout and earned over £23,876 for the Heartbeat Foundation thanks to the participation of all the dedicated golfers. The day was finished with a night of drinking and a delectable three-course meal, along with awards for the winners and runners-up, a charity raffle and auction.

Peter Cooper Motor Group wanted to add to their support for this charity day by offering each participant the chance to win a brand-new Volkswagen Up!
PAUL JONES CELEBRITY GOLF DAY - Raised over £20,000 The Peter Cooper Motor Group proudly sponsored the 20th Paul Jones Celebrity Golf Day at the Goodwood Golf Course to raise money for the amazing Chestnut Tree House. We were thrilled to be able to help Chestnut Tree House together with our sponsor, and we were ecstatic to see they had raised an astounding £20,000.

Along with the fantastic golf day, Paul Jones arranged a black-tie dinner in the evening to continue raising money for this wonderful charity. It was a fantastic chance to meet new people and connect over our shared love of golf. There was a fantastic turnout at Goodwood, and the three-course dinner was superb.
EX-SAINTS GOLF DAY - Raised £7,000 Another fantastic day out raising money for a whole host of local charities.
We were extremely proud to be one of the lead sponsors for the Ex-Saints Golf Day at Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club on Thursday 3rd May 2023. The sun was shining, perfect weather for golf, each team of 3 were matched with a former Southampton FC player, Manager or celebrity guest to compete to win the charity golf day.
Following the golf, all players were invited to a 3 course dinner with entertainment and auction by the fabulous Mike Osman.
SAINTS FOUNDATION DINNER - Raised £127,000 On 20th April 2023 the Peter Cooper Motor Group were delighted to be involved and be a headline sponsor at the Saints Foundation Charity Dinner and what a night it was! The Peter Cooper Motor Group helped Saints Foundation raise £127K for the charity.
We have worked closely with the Saints Foundation over a number of years and have seen first hand experience of the great work that the charity provides in the local community. All money raised is used to support people in need throughout Southampton, providing life-changing opportunities to help our city and its communities thrive.

The Saints Foundation's vision: a city where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
DEMENTIA SUPPORT GOLF DAY - Raised £7,565 In March 2023 the Peter Cooper Motor Group supported the Dementia Support Gold Day for a second year at The Downs Course, Goodwood Kennels! The day was organised by Peter Cooper Motor Group on behalf of Dementia Support to raise awareness and money for Dementia Support. The packed out day consisted of many winnings with a Hole-In-One Prize, Sponsor a Hole-In-One Prize and a fundraising raffle and auction. The day was not complete without plenty of tea, coffee and bacon rolls, and of course completing the 18 hole golf course.
YOUTH OPTIONS; THE BIG GIVE PROGRAMME - Raised £13,000 In 2022 Darren Cooper, our Managing Director set the company on a mission to support and raise money for our charity partner Youth Options with their challenge to raise £5,000 between 30th November and 6th December 2022. If Youth Options achieve their goal, it would be doubled by a programme called the BIG GIVE.

Darren Cooper organised several activities and events within the company to raise the money needed, including a dress down day and cake sale which raised £364. Adding to this figure, Peter Cooper Motor Group raffled a Golf 4-Ball Auction through Youth Options which raised a further £700, resulting in a total of £1,064 which Peter Cooper Motor Group could proudly present Youth Options towards their £5,000 objective, We were delighted to hear, with the help of our contribution, Youth Options raised over £13,000 in total.
ENTERPRISE GALA 2022 - Donated £10,000 Our MD, Darren Cooper and Alex from Shoreham Vehicle Auctions has a great evening at the Enterprise Gala Dinner 2022.
Thanks to the generosity of both Darren & Alex, Children in Need are £10,000 better off after they donated the large sum between them!
EX-SAINTS CHARITY 2022 - Raised over £50,000 Darren Cooper, Matt Le Tissier and James Beattie celebrated the success of the Ex Saints charity activities in 2022 raising over £50,000 with a photo, taken by local paper (Daily Echo) at Southampton's home, St Mary's stadium.
We are so pleased to have helped with the various activities that have help raise this massive total.Events included: Golf Days and Football Match's.
Peter Cooper Motor Group our proud to support the Ex-Saints in their ongoing charity work and will be continuing our support for the next year.
Keep an eye on the Peter Cooper Motor Group social media channels for the future charity events.
HEDGE END SALES EXECUTIVE ROMSEY 5 MILE RUN - Raised £300 Well done to Stefan - Hedge End Sales Executive for running the Romsey 5 mile and raising money for the Peter Cooper Foundation. More money raised for Cancer Research and JDRF.
PETER COOPER MOTOR GROUP FOUNDATION - Raised £40,000 During Peter Cooper Motor Groups 40th year anniversary, we pledged £40,000. Of this pledge, £20,000 was donated to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), and the other £20,000 to Cancer Research. Darren proudly presented the two checks to both JDRF and Cancer Research in 2021, and in 2023 we are still continuing giving our support to JDRF.

Type 1 Diabetes is a condition that everyone is familiar with, but one that many don’t often appreciate the life changing symptoms it places on people’s lives, especially children.

Darren's daughter was unfortunately diagnosed with type 1 in 2018 and he for one didn’t appreciate how it turns a child’s life upside down. The injections and monitoring around everyday life that they have to do is relentless and Darren, and Peter Cooper Motor Group want to help speed up the day when type 1 diabetes can be easily controlled.

Peter Cooper Motor Group have chosen to support Cancer charities since June 2011. Cancer Research is a charity very close to Darren, our Managing Directors heart, due to his mother, Lyn, being terminally diagnosed with cancer and given the tragic news of a 5-6 month life expectancy.

They sought a second opinion and was introduced to some very specific and ground breaking treatments that firstly killed the brain tumour she had and then maintained and controlled other cancerous cells in the body.
The money we continue to raise will go towards the much needed research to continue with our quest of beating all major strands of cancer.
THE PETER COOPER FOUNDATION "Our businesses have always supported local communities, and we have always taken pride in how much we support and raise for charity prior to the launch of our foundation. We rarely showed others the good work that we've been involved with and what we have raised over the 40+ year period. Hence, our foundation was introduced! Our aim was to bring all our charitable activities under one umbrella, giving us a long-term strategy for our charitable work in the community, and our foundation has helped us do just that."

Darren continued, "Our foundation, born in 2021, was set up to mark our 40th anniversary and all our charity work for the years ahead. It also marked the pain and suffering caused by the coronavirus crisis, especially for our charities. As part of marking our 40th anniversary and the set-up of our foundation, we also raised £40,000.

Charities need our help now more than ever, and we look forward to continuing to support them and making a difference.
CHARITY DRIVE-IN CINEMA - Raised £ In October 2021, the Peter Cooper Motor Group Foundation partnered with Kimbridge Barn to host three nights of films, not only for entertainment but also to raise as much money as possible for charity.

The brilliant evening consisted of a large inflatable screen, a Bluetooth speaker system for each car...plus snacks and drinks from Kimbridge Barn that were delivered straight to everyone's cars! Three drive-in cinemas were hosted, screening Shawshank Redemption, Wolf of Wall Street, and Mamma Mia!
FOOT DOWN OUT OF LOCKDOWN - Raised £ Foot Down Out of Lockdown is a great initiative to keep those that can, active and help raise money for two charities close to our heart. In March 2021, we held our Foot Down Out of Lockdown challenge to raise funds for Cancer Research UK and JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). Darren Cooper, our Managing Director, was one of the many from Peter Cooper Motor Group to take on the challenge of 400,000 steps with up to 30 days to complete the distance. Darren's progress throughout the challenge was brilliant, pushing himself further and further, and even exceeding the 400,000 steps and reaching 500,000 in total, helping Peter Cooper Motor Group towards our Driving Charities, Driving Change!

We are incredibly proud to say we raised ...