The Love Keeps Growing ~ Charity Auction

Friday 3rd March 2017

Rowesfield Cottage, Tresco ~ where the lucky winner will stay Rowesfield Cottage, Tresco ~ where the lucky winner will stay

Valentine’s Day saw something pretty special happen in Scilly; Tresco Island opened the bidding on their holiday auction, announcing that all proceeds from the winning bid would be donated to the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust!

The prize? A weeks stay in Rowesfield Cottage on Tresco from Friday 1st September 2017; including bike hire, access to the spa facilities, access to the Abbey Garden and a guided wildlife walk for up to six people.

Staff at the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust office watched with baited breath as the auction went live, really not knowing what to expect and wondering how long it would take for the bidding to start. They didn’t have to wait long and the excitement amongst the team was palpable.

Now two weeks into the auction, how is it going? The answer: the love just keeps growing!

Nikki Banfield, Communications Officer for the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, said: “The bidding has now reached £1500 for this amazing prize. The reserve has been met, so one lucky bidder is definitely going to be on holiday on Tresco Island from the 1st September; we’re looking forward to meeting them and sharing our passion for our Islands with them too”

Tom Matthews, Head of Marketing at Tresco Island, commented: “One of the most common reasons our guests give for their love of these islands is the beautiful and unique natural environment all around them. The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is the organisation that protects and enhances the special natural beauty of the islands and so we wanted to do our bit to support their great work.”

Tom continued, “As a small, independent and locally-run charity we know that the money raised from this auction will make a real difference to the Wildlife Trust and enable them to continue their valuable work.”

So why place a bid? We caught up with the current highest bidder, Wendy Clarke, who shared her thoughts on the charity auction: “I have travelled to the Isles of Scilly since the age of 4 as my Aunt and Uncle lived and worked on Tresco and my cousin was born there. I am now in my mid-forties and continue to return twice a year bringing family and new friends to experience the Islands.”

Wendy added, “I love reading about the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust and the work it carries out; I follow them on Facebook and I would love to volunteer myself in beach cleaning. I think they do such a fabulous job and I myself would like to thank them. What a great way to support by bidding on an auction lot so I can share more beautiful experiences with friends and family should I win whilst supporting the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.”

Nikki Banfield went on to say, “Whatever people’s reason for bidding in the auction we, at the Trust, are pleased that there is growing support and understanding of the important work which is carried out by our Ranger Team across the Islands; from path clearance and maintenance to habit restoration, beach cleans to looking after the Islands historical sites and much more.”

Sarah Mason, Chief Executive of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust explained how the Tresco Island auction could benefit the Trust: “We are immensely grateful to Tresco Island for supporting us in this innovative way. Much of the Trust’s current income is restricted to time-limited grants but the money raised from the auction will enable the Trust to fund new and exciting projects which include looking after our protected breeding seabirds, keeping Scilly’s beaches free from harmful plastic waste and helping visitors connect with the nature of Scilly which they love so much”

The holiday auction closes at 23:59 on Wednesday 31st May, so there is still plenty of time to bid on this fantastic prize and support the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust in the process; just head on over to:

www.tresco.co.uk/island-news/holiday-auction-in-aid-of-isles-of-scilly-wildlife-trust.

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust team would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have placed bids so far; your support of their work is hugely appreciated. Happy bidding!

For those of you that have already booked your holiday to Scilly this year and just can’t justify a second or even a third trip, whether on Tresco or one of the other Islands, there are many other ways for you to support this local, independent charity and help keep Scilly special.

Tom Matthews commented: “Alongside the auction we look forward to continuing our relationship with the charity through their educational activities on Tresco throughout the season.”

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust will be providing various educational activities and events throughout the season across the Islands, for children of all ages; whether you’re eight or eighty, looking for guided walks, wildlife safaris or rockpooling. If you love Scilly and wildlife floats your boat then be sure to pop along.

For regular updates regarding the work of the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, activities or events follow them on FaceBook and Twitter or check out their website.

Tagged with: Fundraising, AONB, Charity Auction, Education, Events, IOS, Isles of Scilly, Scilly