The Rotary Club of Bedford Castle has donated over £10,000 to two Bedford charities after organising an online charity auction supported by former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook, who donated items to the sale.
The auction was pulled together by rotary President Tony Wildman, fundraising coordinator Charles Codrington and David Fletcher, who will be known to some readers as an expert on BBC TV’s Flog It.
The money raised has been shared between local charities School Readers and Bedford Day Care Hospice.
It was also supported by Charles Hanson, also from BBC TV’s Flog It, Bargain Hunt and Antiques Roadtrip who hosted the auction.
On Friday 23 April, Tony Wildman presented a cheque for £5,200 to Jane Whitbread, Founder and Trustee of School readers.
A cheque for £5000 to Tom Inskip, Chair of the Bedford Day Care Hospice, was presented a week later.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to all those who had helped to raise such a significant sum of money during Lockdown,” said Tony.
“It’s not easy to come up with fundraising events, especially with the restrictions imposed because of Covid, but we demonstrated that where there’s a will there’s a way.”
Tony is now moving on to another fund-raising event and has planned a ‘100 Bridge Challenge’.
On 31 May, he will walk up and down along Bedford’s Embankment, crossing each of its bridges between Newnham footbridge and the County Bridge in Prebend Street until he has walked over them one hundred times.
Tony has set himself a target of £5,000 in sponsorship and has so far received just over £4,500.
You can help Tony reach his target amount, all of which will also be donated to School Readers and Bedford Day Care Hospice, by sponsoring him on his Virgin Money Giving page.
