GoGoSafari Charity Auction raises over £290,000 for young people in care.

After a wild
summer roaming the streets of Norwich and Norfolk, the GoGoSafari sculptures
have found their forever homes at a spectacular one-night-only charity art
auction held at Saxon Air, Norwich. Hosted by ITV’s Becky Jago and Chris Page
alongside celebrity auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp, the event saw around 200
guests in attendance with over 70 bidding online.

The evening
began with a vibrant opening dance performance by the City College Norwich
Dance Group, setting the scene for an exciting night of bidding. Guests enjoyed
a sparkling reception, food served by Norfolk’s Edge surrounded by all 56
sculptures up grabs – each a one-of-a-kind creation by the UK’s most talented
artists.

Bidding got
off to a flying start with the vibrant Prideoscope, sponsored by Norwich BID,
selling for an impressive £8,500. The excitement continued as Andy, a touching
tribute to beloved local businessman and Mr Plastics MD, Andy Cole, raised
£10,000. The stunning Gia La Giraffa Lampada, a giraffe transformed into a glamourous
working lamp by the talented Sally Adams, illuminated the room as it fetched
£10,500. Another of Sally Adams’ remarkable creations, circus elephant BoBo,
achieved a fantastic £12,000, thanks in part to match funding from Wild in Art.
Adding to the total, the MINI Collection, a unique set of five miniature
sculptures representing each animal in the trail which were auctioned
individually, collectively raised over £24,000 and ultimately ended up
together!

The auction
raised a total of £290,200 and all proceeds will go to Break, supporting their
work with young people in, around and leaving care across East Anglia. This
brings the total of money raised through the trail to over £380,000 all
of which will go towards offering young people in care lifelong support and
opportunities to build confidence and independence.

“The incredible
generosity shown tonight will make a real difference for young people in and
leaving care across East Anglia,” comments Break CEO Rached Cowdry.  “This money will enable us to provide the
stability, love and opportunities that every young person deserves.  With the love and support that we give the
young people as we walk alongside them, they are able to heal some of the hurt
and grow into the best adults they can be. Thanks to everyone who took part
tonight we can continue to ensure they feel safe, valued, and empowered to
build bright futures.”

Ellie Edge,
Break Partnerships Manager added: “It was an absolutely fantastic evening, and we’re
so grateful to everyone who dug deep and helped us raise such a phenomenal
amount. We’d like to thank everyone who played a part in making the evening a
success including auction partners Mander Auctioneers and Production bureau,
our auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp, and of course trail partners Wild in Art,
Zoological Society of East Anglia, Norwich BID and Chantry Place; our talented
artists, sculpture sponsors and volunteers, for making the night such a success.”