Pride of Lions auction raised a roaring £65,550
Over the summer months, the streets of Northampton were taken over by a pride of beautifully decorated lion sculptures- showcasing Northampton’s creative ability and capturing the imagination of the young and old.
On Thursday 23 September the Pride of Lions were sold off in a charity auction at the Park Inn Hotel, Northampton, raising money for two charities - the Born Free Foundation and the Cynthia Spencer Hospice. The public display of 40 lions has been the topic of conversation for some time. Northampton Borough Council developed the idea in partnership with the arts and education company Wild in Art and it has proven to be a huge success.
People gathered in a packed auction room led by celebrity auctioneer, Jonty Hearnden, and delved deep into their pockets showing their support of both charities.
One lucky bidder won his own mini pride of seven lions. Andrew Bodsworth of Holdenby said: “I bought so many because I just thought they were beautiful. It has been great for Northampton - they brought such life and colour to the town.”
Mr Bodsworth purchased seven lions in total including the much-loved Lionfish, which stood proudly in the Guildhall Courtyard and attracted a lot of attention over the summer.
Both charities were delighted with the turnout and the amount raised, Cynthia Spencer Hospice fundraising manager John Helm said: "We have been astounded at the fantastic reaction to the Pride of Northampton project and the fantastic generosity of our community, who made the auction such a brilliant success. It never ceases to amaze us what fantastic support we get from the people of Northamptonshire.”
Events manager Joanne Bartholomew of the Born Free Foundation added: “The event was great, we felt very welcome in Northampton. It was all hands on deck to get the lions to the Park Inn hotel in preparation for the auction. The amount raised at one event for both charities was absolutely fantastic.”
Northampton Borough Council cabinet member for community engagement Councillor Paul Varnsverry said: "I recall the day the Pride of Northampton's first lion, created by local artist Lee Burrows, prowled out into the town. I knew that this had the potential to seize the hearts and the imagination of the people of Northampton. The auction night was a huge success and proved my belief that the hearts of local people and local businesses - and some from further afield who were bidding by telephone on the night - were captivated by the Pride and those hearts gave generously when it came to donating to the benefiting charities."
As the lions were such a hit this summer and successful in attracting people to the town, Northampton Borough Council purchased four lions on the evening including: Joseph The People’s Lion, Leo, Still Life A Market Prowl and The Moosterious Lion. The council stayed under the guide price for all lions and the finances used to purchase the lions was generated from accrued interest from an unexpected VAT refund. So keep an eye out for Moosterious Lion, to see where he may pop up next…
The amount each charity will receive will be released in the next few weeks. To find out more about the charities visit: www.bornfree.org.uk and www.cynthiaspencerhospice.nhs.uk
Posted by: Northampton Borough Council
