Skipton Auction Mart auction raises £1,200 for Brooklands school (From Craven Herald)

Skipton Auction Mart auction raises £1,200 for Brooklands school

9:00am Friday 4th January 2013 in News

Rich Christmas fruit cakes and Scotch eggs fed a fundraising pot at Brooklands Community Special School, Skipton, to the tune of almost £1,200.

They were sold at a charity auction staged as part of Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Christmas primestock shows in November, which featured new competition classes for fruit cakes and Scotch eggs, with all entrants donating their submissions towards the cause.

The proceeds were presented to the school by Craven Cattle Marts’ junior auctioneer Sam Bradley, joined by Brooklands old boy George Throup, who is a familiar face at the auction mart with his parents Joe and Nancy Throup, who farm at Berwick Intake Farm, Draughton.

Also present was former Brooklands School governor Shirley Mason, from the well-known Embsay farming family, who was one of the judges at the Christmas cake competition.

Brooklands is aiming to raise £20,000 to re-equip its sensory room, which had to be closed after suffering severe rain damage earlier this year.

School head Denise Sansom said that thanks to many fundraising efforts it was hoped to start work on the room early in the New Year.

She paid particular tribute to local agricultural communities for their support.

As well as the charity auction, Andrew Atkinson Livestock, of Felliscliffe, Harrogate - who regularly buys sheep at Skipton - also staged a fundraising event in aid of the appeal.

“We are so grateful because the sensory room really enhances and enriches our children’s education,” said Mrs Sansom.

Helen Herd, of Saxelby Farm, Hebden, won the inaugural Christmas cake competition, while Bentleys Butchers, of Pudsey, landed first prize in the Scotch eggs competition class.