The auction named 'Art for Freedom' has such a great story and cause behind it. Teaming up with organisations like Sports against Trafficking, The A21 Campaign and EPCAT UK a night was put on by Ella Pugh-Smith and The Row for Freedom team. Ella who is in the art industry heard what Sports against Trafficking founder Julia Immonen was planning to do with the Row for Freedom team, which are 6 wonderful women training and planning to row across the Atlantic ocean to raise funds and awareness about the plight of Human trafficking. Julia who works at Sky Sports managed to be a great example of using personal interests and skills to translate as tools to help tackle atrocities such as Human Trafficking, not only feeding her love for physical activity like the 3000 mile row she is embarking on, but also utilising her bubbly personality and sports connections to get well known familiar faces to help spread awareness to the masses who would have never heard of these causes.
Sky Sports presenters Charlotte Jackson and Simon Thomas hosted the auction, with a wide range of art pieces of different budgets available to bid for going under the hammer with Sotheby's, Edinburgh Managing Director Anthony Weld Forester conducting the bid. There were oil paintings, designer dresses, comic book art available and numerous paintings from Ex cricketer Matthew Vaughan! Along with the art some really great sports memorabilia donated too including a shirt from cricketer Freddie Flintoff, boxing gloves from Amir Khan and the running kit of Dame Kelly Holmes (see pic above).
It was such a lovely evening, and knowing it was all for such a great cause made it all the better. It was also great seeing so many familiar faces, and for me witnessing a live auction where people were speading some serious money. One item went for £3000+ and it was exciting seeing the attendees battling out for it! The night was a great success with over £20,000 being raised for the two main charities.
Please, if you have the chance check out all the charities mentioned as they all have such great meaning behind them all. The plight of Human trafficking is rife in this modern day but equally as rife as it is the ignorance to this subject matter for many is equally so. For now I will leave you with some pictures of this great event.