Hove mother-son duo raise £3m with Italian Job auction

Giulia and Freddie St George from Hove reached the milestone last week after auctioning an anniversary edition Mini, which sold for £50,000.

The pair have now raised more than £3 million since they started fundraising in 1990 through the Italian Job charity event.

Inspired by the 1969 Michael Caine film of the same name, the motoring adventure is a road trip for Mini and vintage car enthusiasts, taking adventurers off the beaten track to experience Italy and revisit some of the locations used in the movie.

Giulia, 87, was last year awarded an MBE for her more than 30-year commitment to raising money for children struggling in poverty.

The motoring adventure travels across parts of Italy and revisits scenes from the 1969 movie

Co-founder Freddie said: “We, of course, all hoped the anniversary car would sell well at auction, but none of us dared to dream it would sell for such an incredible amount. But sell it did for £50,000 and, in doing so, helped us reach our £3 million landmark.”

The pair have already set their sights on raising £4 million, with the charity motoring experience returning to Italy in October after a three-year hiatus.

Proceeds from events and auctions are distributed by the grant-giving charity Buttle UK to give struggling families and their children a chance to live.

CEO of Buttle UK, Joseph Howes, said: “This is a critical time for families in this country.

“After two years of the pandemic, the most vulnerable families in the UK are now struggling with huge price rises.

“We know that demand for our Chances for Children grants will continue to grow, and so we are delighted to be the main benefactor of The Italian Job.”

The experience will set off from Imola on October 11 and finish in Turin on October 20.

The 1969 film sees cockney criminal Charlie Croker, played by Michael Caine, form a gang to steal a cache of gold bullion being transported through Turin.