AUCTION ACTION SUPPORTS OUR FOUNDATION
Anderson & Garland are enthusiastic supporters of our Foundation and bids were certainly lively at the auctioneer’s latest event.
Shelley Brunsdon, Julian Thomson and Charlotte Dobson
At a recent reception to preview their Spring Fine Auctions, donations were made by generous guests to further the work we fund.
It is not the first time Anderson & Garland has stepped in to help us. Most notably, in 2015, they generously volunteered their professional services to auction the extensive football programme collection of Newcastle United fan, John Alder, who was tragically killed when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine.
John’s family had donated the match programmes, dating back to the 1920s, and they were auctioned at St James’ Park raising £26,000 to support the work of our Foundation.
Anderson & Garland, one of the largest independent auction houses in the UK, is based in Westerhope, Newcastle, and was founded in 1840.
The £1,100 they raised for us was generated from six successful fine art auctions held this spring, including the Fine Jewellery Auction and their inaugural Fine Asian Art Auction.
Julian Thomson, Anderson & Garland Chairman and Managing Director, believes our Foundation is a cause that everyone can identify with.
He says: “Everyone is affected by cancer, so Sir Bobby’s Foundation is a charity we’ve always been keen to support.
“The work funded is something the whole region benefits from and it’s great to see the North East contributing so significantly to cancer research on a much wider basis too.”
One of the most notable highlights from the Spring Fine Auctions was a spectacular Victorian Burmese sapphire and diamond brooch featuring a 25-carat sapphire and over 14 carats of old-cut diamonds. The brooch achieved an impressive £78,000 after a competitive bidding battle.
Julian adds: “As the leading auction house in the North of England and Scottish Borders, and one of the largest independent auctioneers in the UK, we’re committed not only to excellence in the art and antiques market, but also to supporting important local causes.
“It’s been a very positive few months for us. As well as the money raised for the charity, our Fine Asian Art Auction attracted considerable international attention and a remarkable Chinese blue and white dragon vase from the Kangxi period, originally valued at £20,000 to £30,000, sold for £75,000 following fierce interest from multiple international bidders.”
Working within the NHS and in partnership with other leading charities and organisations, the innovative cancer treatment funded by our Foundation includes the clinical trials of new cancer drugs.
Patients with advanced cancer come from across the North East and Cumbria for treatment at the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
Shelley Brunsdon, Corporate Fundraising Lead at Newcastle Hospitals Charity, says: “We’re extremely grateful to Anderson & Garland and everyone who attended their Spring Fine Auctions event.
“It was a great pleasure to be at the reception, not only to chat to the many guests about the work of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, but to admire the varied auction lots available for sale.
“The money raised from the night will help us continue to find better ways to detect and treat cancer and will directly benefit patients from our region. That’s something every guest we chatted to was keen to see happen.”
