EditorOver the summer, the city of Swansea has been home to over 30 large castle sculptures, each one individually designed by artists and sponsored by a business, forming part of a public art trail.
Castles in the Sky, brought to you by Wales Air Ambulance, has seen residents and visitors of all ages complete over 10 million steps across the city, learning about the all-Wales Charity.
It’s time for the castles to find their forever homes, as they go up for auction to raise vital funds for the lifesaving service.
Author, compere, auctioneer and antique expert, Jamie Breese will take to the stage on Thursday 3 October, alongside one of the UK’s most respected Property, Travel and Lifestyle TV presenters, Martin Roberts.
The well-renowned auctioneers are volunteering their time to support the all-Wales Charity, which needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its fleet of helicopters in the sky and rapid response vehicles on the road.
The event is open to the public and businesses and will take place at Swansea’s Marriott Hotel, with arrival from 6pm.
Speaking about the auction Jamie said:
“Over the last year I’ve come to understand the commitment, excellence and life-changing (saving) skills that Wales Air Ambulance deploy.
“I had a tour quite recently of the base in Dafen with their Chief Executive Dr Sue Barnes. I met and spoke with a pilot and his colleague.
“Being wholly funded from the private sector, this auction is part of the all-important (AKA critical) funding for the service.
“I am delighted to be volunteering to host and auction over 30 Castles and looking forward to teaming up with my friend Martin Roberts to make the most of the opportunity – and have fun – fundraising.
“He’s probably thinking it’s ‘Castles Under The Hammer’….”
All the large castles in the trail, excluding the Charity’s ‘Forget-Me-Not’ castle, will be available to buy at the auction, in-person and online.
Jamie, who currently runs EVO ULTRA, a business leadership peer group for CEOs and MDs of multi-million-pound companies will be accompanied by I’m a Celebrity Get Me out of Here campmate and Homes under the Hammer presenter, Martin Roberts, who has been spending a lot of time in Wales for his new fly-on-the-wall documentary “Ooops! I bought a pub”.
Martin said:
“It’s my great pleasure to support this incredible charity. One I hope none of us ever need to call on but can sleep easy at night knowing it’s there for us if we do. And I’ll do my bit to try to raise as much money as possible for these uniquely wonderful auction lots.”
Artists from across the country, including Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist, Nathan Wyburn and former soldier, Barry John MBE, have unleashed their creativity to create these one-of-a-kind sculptures and it’s your chance to own one.
Bidding starts at £500, and the funds raised will go towards Wales Air Ambulance, enabling the Charity to continue saving lives across Wales.
Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. For the patient, this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery.
It is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector Partnership. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
Mark Stevens, Head of Fundraising – High Value Partnership for Wales Air Ambulance, said:
“We are incredibly excited about this auction, and having Jamie and Martin join us for the event is truly spectacular. Their knowledge and skills will help us raise vital funds and it’s very generous of them both to give up their time to support our charity.
“These castles are unique, beautifully created pieces of art, and we hope people across the UK will join our auction online and in-person to be in with the chance to own one. This trail has brought so much joy to residents and visitors of Swansea, and the money raised from their sale will now help to save lives.”
The 10-week art trail has being delivered in partnership with creative producers, Wild in Art, and is supported by Principal Partner, Swansea Business Improvement District (BID).
If you’d like to become the ‘keeper’ of one of these castles, please register here – https://www.walesairambulance.com/castle-auction
https://swanseabaynews.com/2024/10/03/castles-to-go-under-the-hammer-today-with-auction-royalty/
#CastlesInTheSky #MarriotHotel #MartinRoberts #WalesAirAmbulance
Russ Cheshire
DaveOfTheNui
MikeHuckebein ☮️
