Pigs bring home the bacon for the hospice – and they will be doing a trail again

The Pigs were Going Going Gone at auction last night, raising an incredible total of £200,000 for St Elizabeth Hospice – and the local charity has announced they will be doing another sculpture trail in the future.

The larger than life sculptures went under the hammer at Trinity Park last night with all of them being bid on and going to new homes, raising £154,050 on the night. Combined with the amount donated by the community and local businesses through their fundraising efforts, around £200,000 has been raised for local hospice care.

Norman Lloyd, Pigs Gone Wild project manager, said: “We are over the moon to have raised this fantastic amount from the Pigs Gone Wild trail and all the proceeds will support our vital nursing care, helping people living with a progressive illness.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support of the community and our sponsors and partners for the trail and for the hospice. Everyone has really taken our piggy pals into their hearts – and now some lucky people will be taking them into their homes or businesses!

“We were always hopeful that we would reach and exceed £100,000 but never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we could make £200,000 which can pay for 10,000 nursing hours. Our chief executive was speechless when the total was announced!”

Mark Millar, St Elizabeth Hospice’s chief executive, added: “We want to thank everyone who has been involved and supported the hospice over the last eighteen months. Businesses, organisations, schools, groups, artists and the public have all played a vital role in making the event a success. Thank you also to everyone who bid on and bought a pig.

“It is thanks to you all that I am delighted to say we will be doing another art trail in the future – so watch this space.”

The top hog was Ipswich Blue, with the pig eventually going for an incredible £6,500 and being snapped up by its sponsor, ABP Ports!

Ed Sheer-Ham was the second highest grossing pig, raising £6,200 for the hospice. Ed himself has said he will sign the pig for the highest bidder.

Hedgepig, who was voted the public’s favourite sculpture on the trail, was the first pig to be auctioned off and was bought for £4,000.

Liz Binns was the winner of the blank junior sculpture, bidding a fantastic £4,000 for the blank canvas. She will have the choice of three amazing artists, Lois Cordelia, Mik Richardson or Emma Graham, to paint her new piggy. She said: “The blank one would sit in our garden perfectly. My brother was cared for by the hospice so I felt that this was for him and the hospice so it was quite an emotional time tonight.”

Ben Woolf was the highest bidder of Major Tim Pig, who was sponsored by Archant and designed by artist, Jane Anderson, bidding £3,200 for the pig inspired by astronaut, Major Tim Peake. He said: “We bought Major Tim because our son asked us to! He is seven years old and he and his class studied him at school, watching him in space and it caught his attention.

“We live on a farm, so he is going to live on an actual pig farm!”

Dr Trott and Nurse Honey-Cured had already been crowd funded for the hospice, with the more than 155 people donating, raising almost £6,000 to buy the pig for the hospice as a lasting legacy of the trail this summer.

Watch this space to find out where the pigs will be moving to and for more information about the next trail.

How much did each pig go for?

Hedgepig – £4,000

Hamlet of Ipswich – £3,100

Captain Pigwash – £3,800

Salt – £4,000

Ipswich Blue – £6,500

Pepper Pig – £5,600

Sir Bradley Piggins – £4,200

A Pig’s Got Travel – £4,000

South Street Kids Radio – £2,200

Tally-Ho Trotters – £4,800

Steam Punk Pig – £4,100

A Pig’s Year Of It – £3,000

Frankenswine – £2,600

Major Henry Wigglesworth – £4,000

Pig N Mix – £5,000

The Swinions – £3,600

Boarba Fett – £2,200

Elvis Porksley – £2,800

Pretty Penny – £5,000

Stymante – £5,800

Refuge – £2,600

Foodie Pig – £3,600

Piggy The Sailor – £4,000

The Ham-inator – £4,400

Spider-Pig – £3,200

Great Piggish Bake Off – £3,100

Porkman Road – £4,000

Hamlet – £3,600

Clover – £4,200

Ed Sheer-Ham – £6,200

The Trotters Pig – £4,600

Piggy Stardust – £2,600

Major Tim Pig – £3,200

Little Sewn Sow – £4,050

To Bee A Pig – £4,800

Hide & Seek – £3,800

Pigs Can Fly – £3,700

Pinata Piggy – £4,000

Dr Trott and Nurse Honey-Cured – £6,021

Pig-Geswyk – £3,800

Blank Junior Sculpture – £4,000