• Geely Holding, owner of the London EV Company (LEVC), has marked the 25th anniversary of the Magical Taxi Tour with a record sponsorship deal.
  • Pledging to give £100,000 over five years from 2020 to 2024, the commitment is the largest ever received by the charity.
  • Organised annually by the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers, the Magical Taxi Tour takes over 200 children, suffering from a range of chronic diseases and life-limiting conditions, on a trip of a lifetime to Disneyland Resort Paris®
  • Since 1994, the event has taken over 5,000 children to Disneyland Resort Paris® and the announcement builds on Geely Holding’s existing donation of £60,000 which was made in 2016 and runs until 2019
  • This year’s run to Paris takes place on 28th September and is expected to feature hundreds of black taxis, including the all-new electric TX

 

11 June 2018, London: One of London’s most-loved children’s charity events, the Magical Taxi Tour, has received a huge donation from Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, owners of the London EV Company (LEVC).

Committing to sponsoring the event for five years from 2020 to 2024, Geely’s gift of £100,000 is the largest amount ever received by the Magical Taxi Tour and will allow it to continue to give great happiness and joy to sick children. It also comes as the Magical Taxi Tour celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Taking place every year, the tour is a three-day trip of a lifetime, starting in Canary Wharf, London. It features a convoy of licensed London taxis who take over 200 children, suffering from a range of chronic debilitating illnesses and life limiting conditions, to Disneyland Resort Paris® and back over the course of a weekend.

This convoy, which can be over three miles long when running and consists of around 100 taxis, enjoys escorts from the City of London Police, Gendarmerie Nationale, London Ambulance NHS Trust and AA breakdown. Since it began in 1994, the Magical Taxi Tour has taken almost 5,000 children to Disneyland Resort Paris® with some taxi drivers having taken part every year.

Geely’s donation of £100,000 over five years follows on from an existing relationship with the event that saw Geely give £60,000 to the Magical Taxi Tour in 2016, a sponsorship which runs until 2019.

This year’s run to Paris takes place on 28th to 30th September and is expected to feature hundreds of black taxis, from the TX4 right up to the all-new electric TX, which was launched earlier this year and of which there are now over 200 on the roads in the UK.

Phil Davis, Master elect of Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers said: “This event is only possible with the help of our sponsors who generously give toward the £1,400 per taxi necessary to meet the expenses of hotel, fuel, food and admission charges. On behalf of the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers, I am absolutely delighted to receive this incredibly generous donation from Geely which builds on the company’s existing generosity.

“The taxi drivers who take part in the tour give their time and use of their vehicles freely – and many of the same drivers have done so since the event started in 1994. We are filled with sadness that some of these youngsters have since died, but with the help of our sponsors we are determined to give more children this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thanks to Geely’s help we can keep giving children the gift of happiness.”

Victor Yang, Vice President of Communications at Zhejiang Geely Holding Group said: “The Magical Taxi Tour is an exceptional event that has brought incredible amounts of joy to more than 5,000 children over a quarter of a century. It shows just how generous and public-spirited licensed London taxi drivers are and we are only too delighted to extend the sponsorship we made back in 2016 with an all-new commitment of £100,000 beginning from 2020. Our desire is that this event grows and brings even more happiness to children – and we are very proud to support it.”