The total amount raised for St Elizabeth Hospice from a dual auction of deckchairs designed by household names and talented artists is £35,000.
Thirty canvases from the exclusive Suffolk Coastal Deckchairs collection went under the hammer on October 1st at a gala auction at Trinity Park in Ipswich – raising almost £18,000.
The remaining designs formed part of an online auction which closed on October 12th.
The combined total of money raised from both auctions stands at £35,000 and that amazing amount will help St Elizabeth Hospice provide services for patients and their families throughout east Suffolk.
Suffolk Coastal Deckchairs project organiser Carl Brooks, of St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “We were really pleased with the success of the Suffolk Coastal Deckchairs project. It has been a high-profile, unique campaign and as well as raising a fantastic amount of money it has helped us raise the profile of the Hospice and the work we do to improve the lives of people with a progressive illness. We would like to thank everyone who has supported the project.”
The deckchair of Mr Benn, designed by its creator David McKee fetched the highest amount of £1,600. Other popular choices included designs by Angelina Ballerina writer Laura Beaumont, Bill Oddie, illustrator Helen Oxenbury, writer Meg Rosoff, Maureen Lipman and Polly Dunbar.
A design by artist Janet French will be put on permanent display at the Hospice to be enjoyed by patients, their families and staff, after more than £1,000 was donated to keep it there.
Fireman Dale Allen and his wife Lou, a teacher, travelled to gala auction all the way from March in Cambridgeshire, because they had their heart set on the oil painting by Kesgrave artist Theronda Hoffman. They were on holiday in the summer when they had spotted it exhibited in Southwold and were delighted to be the winning bidders at £800.
Pupils and staff from Leiston School also went away happy after their efforts to raise £800 through a dress down day, cake sale and other events paid off. The school won the bid for a Puffin design by pupil Megan Rushbrook, who had entered a schools competition to have it exhibited alongside the other works.
Art teacher Helen Armstrong said: “We are so pleased, this has been a real school and community effort and the deckchair will now be displayed in the school entrance hall with some information about St Elizabeth Hospice and the good work it does.”
Watch videos from the night on St Elizabeth Hospice’s youtube channel