The London Stock Exchange Group will today donate a full day’s worth of equity trading fees to charity – a figure it estimates will be in excess of £500,000.

Today's 'charitable trading day' is the first time that the London Stock Exchange (LSE) Group – alongside Borsa Italiana (Italy’s main stock exchange and part of LSE Group) and Turquoise (a trading platform set up by international investment banks) – has given away an entire day's worth of trading fees since it was founded in 1801. The money raised will be distributed by the LSE Group Foundation, which has donated more than £1.2m to charities in the UK, Italy and Sri Lanka since 2010.

The LSE Group today also announced the UK's Friendship Works and Italian youth charity In-presa as its new partner charities. LSE Group has made a three-year commitment to both charities that will comprise approximately £300,000 worth of financial benefit as well as professional support.

UK minister for civil society Nick Hurd attended today's ceremony at the LSE Group's London headquarters and said: "Charities make an immeasurable contribution to the lives of millions of people in our society, but they cannot do it alone. With the potential to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds, Charity Trading Day is an imaginative and exciting way in which the London Stock Exchange can help make this work possible."

LSE Group also used the day to promote its new online charity trading game. Making an online donation gives participants the chance to ‘win’ a further £2,000 donation to the charity of their choice. The game can be accessed here.