Five Fiat 500s, decorated by the artist Damien Hirst, were among the prizes won in a luxury charity draw at a star-studded London; the cars, donated by Fiat and finished in butterfly designs by the award-winning artist, raised £440,000.

Five Fiat 500s, decorated by the artist Damien Hirst, were among the prizes won in a luxury charity draw at a star-studded London party last week. The cars, donated by Fiat and finished in butterfly designs by the award-winning artist, raised £440,000 as sales of their raffle tickets proved popular among guests at the ARK dinner. Party-goers included Hollywood film star Uma Thurman, supermodel Eva Herzigova, singer Sinitta and top UK industry and hedge fund bosses.

Dubbed as being the most lavish party in Britain, the ARK event raises millions of pounds for children’s charities each year. For 2009 it was held in the disused Eurostar terminus at London’s Waterloo station, where the total raised on the night was a staggering £15.6 million.

“I am immensely grateful to the Fiat Group and to Damien Hirst for their unabated support and generosity to ARK,” says charity chairman Arpad Busson. “The five beautiful 500s added stunning visual drama to our event and raised £440,000 for our programmes.” The lucky winners of the five unique 500s will take delivery of their cars at Fiat Marylebone, Fiat’s flagship store in London’s Wigmore Street.

ARK is an international charity whose purpose is to transform children’s lives. Founded in 2002 by a group of leaders in the alternative investment industry, pooling their skills and resources to improve the life chances of children, ARK delivers high social returns on philanthropic investment. Originally a grant-making organisation, ARK’s delivery model was changed to maximise its impact and ensure strong accountability. ARK deploys the funds it raises by setting up and managing its own teams who are responsible for implementing its programmes.

ARK brings together passionate experts with the best talent from business to deliver its vision on the ground under the leadership of its Board of Trustees. Employing over 1,200 staff directly and through partners, ARK’s programmes are highly focused on meeting pre-defined strategic goals in the areas of HIV/AIDS (South Africa, Mozambique), Education (UK, India) and Children in Care (Eastern Europe).