2019-02-04 |
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Farmers Charity Auction Raises Record £58,000
The 2019 Farmers Charity Auction held at Carlisle’s Borderway Auction Mart attracted 100’s of entries, brought in scores of bidders and raised over £58,000 for local causes.
The Farmers’ Charity Auction, held on Friday 25th January, attracted bidders from far and wide and raised much needed support for Cumbrian charities. Raising a grand total of over £58,000, the organisers were Auctioneers C&D Longtown, Harrison & Hetherington, Hopes of Wigton, Mitchells of Cockermouth, Penrith Auction and North Cumbria NFU. The auction demonstrated the amazing support from the rural community for this event that has been running for over 35 years.
Amongst the livestock donated were several calves, a pair of Herdwick lambs, straws of semen and a batch of 25 pullets. Feed included bales of all kinds, shapes and sizes, salt licks and calf milk. Food to bid for included the second placed top item of a barbecue for 100, [at £2800], bags of potatoes, a butchered red deer carcase, a pig and several home-made sponge cakes - one of which was resold after the auction and raised another £100!
The monies raised will be split across four charities: the Heart Centre Cumberland Infirmary, the North Cumbria Stroke Fund, R.A.B.I and Life Education Cumbria.
Star item was a Yamaha Quad Bike, which raised the record price of the day. Donated by local Carlisle farmer, John Wood, and only 8 weeks old, the well-equipped quad will be handed over when John has used it to move his flock to new grazing in a few day’s time.
Nick Utting, Chairman of the Farmers’ Charity Auction, said:
“We were overwhelmed by the support we have received. Thanks go to all the donors, bidders – whether successful or not – and to the NFU and 5 marts who came together to organise it - as well as the auctioneers who brought their gavels to the ring.
My thanks go to the individual farmers and agricultural based businesses for their valuable contributions, which made the auction possible. The event was well supported on the day and we even had telephone bids from as far as Aberdeen. My star items were the Yamaha ATV and the barbeque, which by all accounts will be used to celebrate a 40th birthday.
We look forward to making our donations to the chosen charities when the monies have all come in.”
Across the day, there were stalls run by the charities and the local Young Farmer’s Clubs which showed their support with individual fundraisers, as well as a programme of entertainment organised by the Committee.
