Art auction aims to help the homeless through the winter months

Purbeck artists are reuniting to help Dorset’s rough sleepers this Christmas following a successful charity art auction in the summer.

More than £40,000 worth of art from 41 creators will be presented at Art4Action’s Christmas online auction, which will run between Friday 4th December and Sunday 13th December 2020.

Advertisement 

In June 2020, Malcolm Lewis of Wareham Tower Chimes organised the original online auction to raise money for local charities struggling due to coronavirus.

The event was a roaring success, bringing in £8,828 – 40 percent of which went to the Dorset Coronavirus Community Fund and the Purbeck Art Weeks (PAW) charity and 60 percent going to the local artists.

Following on from this, Art4Action is returning this Christmas to help even more good causes.

Malcolm Lewis of Wareham Tower Chimes said:

“Putting on another Art4Action fundraiser really depended on the success of the first, which I measured not only in how much was raised, but how the artists and of course the general public felt about it. 

“Fortunately we had no complaints from either quarter and so we felt confident enough to repeat the event. 

“As you can see on the special website we created for the event, there are such a lot of talented artists and crafters in the Purbeck and Dorset area, and from paintings to handmade artworks there’s something to suit most tastes and budgets in the auction.” 

Artists from Swanage, including Paul Longland, Samantha Woodford and Katie Heslop are among those selling at the auction.

Wareham sunset by Katie Heslop
Katie Heslop

Art to aid charity

The Christmas art auction is teaming up with Wareham Church Family to help a few local good causes – including the homelessness action group Routes to Roots.

This charity helps provide aid including food, clothing and sleeping bags for rough sleepers and homeless people.

In addition, the auction will also help fund the upkeep of the St Martin in the Walls Church in Wareham.

Malcolm Lewis added: 

“In fact, it was because St Martin is known as a patron of the poor that we thought we should also give a good proportion of the money raised to a homeless charity; and what better time is there to do it than at Christmas, especially with the extra burden that coronavirus has brought in its wake this year?”

Trust by Samantha Woodford
Samantha Woodford

Bidding in the auction

As is the case with many public events during the ongoing pandemic, this art auction will be held online.

The artwork is available to view on the Art4Action website.

When the auction launches on Friday 4th December 2020, anyone interested can bid to buy a work of art via the bidding platform on the website.

Share this story

Contact us

Do you have anything to add to this story?

We like to keep everything up-to-date, so if you know more, please help us by getting in touch.

Advertisement 

Top stories

High Speed Train arrives in Swanage As unlikely as it sounds, a High Speed Train formerly known as the Inter-city 125 due to its top speed of 125 mph, visited Swanage station - WATCH VIDEO 6 days ago RNLI treat injured woman on paddle steamer returning to Swanage 4 weeks ago Giant sand lizard migrates to Corfe Castle 4 days ago Major gig rowing championship to take place in Swanage 5 days ago New Swanage home for 130 year old loco saved from scrap yard 1 month ago

Most recent

Police investigate alleged assault on woman cyclist in Wareham An image of a man that police wish to speak to has been issued following a report of a woman on her bike being hit round the head 6 hours ago Corfe Castle sewage works comes clean 16 hours ago New monument marks site of world first for Langton Matravers 2 days ago Purbeck coasteering death was misadventure, inquest jury decides 3 days ago Giant sand lizard migrates to Corfe Castle 4 days ago