War declared in Cumbria park's charity bid
23rd December 2010
When an Ambleside holiday park agreed to support a local charity's fundraising auction on eBay, it quickly found itself at the centre of a nationwide bidding war.
Skelwith Fold Caravan Park offered a five-night stay in a luxury holiday home as part of an auction organised by its neighbour, the Brathay Trust.
The charity, which provides support for disadvantaged and vulnerable children, received donations from firms across Cumbria which pledged items for the eBay Christmas sale.
They ranged from a guided walk across Morecambe Bay to a box of festive Lakeland cheeses, plus hotel breaks and a host of visitor passes to different attractions in the county.
But what really caught the imagination of eBay-ers was Skelwith Fold's away-from-it-all holiday in its 100-plus acres of wildlife-rich woodland just outside Ambleside.
More than 200 would-be escapees forced the price upwards as they entered bids for the break, not normally available as an option at the park which provides touring pitches and holiday homes to buy.
A flurry of extra activity in the closing minutes of the sale saw the price rise even faster - and when the electronic hammer finally came down, it had reached £360.00.
According to Lucy O'Donnell of the Brathay Trust, Skelwith's holiday was responsible for the single largest donation in the auction which raised over two thousand pounds in total.
The park's Henry Wild said that he and his staff team were delighted at the interest which their holiday break had generated amongst the e-Bay community:
"We have one luxury holiday home on the park which is used almost exclusively by journalists who come to write about the Lake District," he said.
"When the Brathay Trust approached us, we thought the unit would be ideal for the charity auction as it met perfectly their request for items which money can't normally buy.
"We crossed our fingers that it would make the hundred-pound mark - but when we saw the number of people bidding, it soon became clear that we were on a roll!
"Along with the money we usually raise for the Great North Air Ambulance appeal, this looks like proving a record year for charity at Skelwith Fold," added Henry.
Created in 1946, the Brathay Trust says it will use the money raised through its Christmas auction to help its work in bringing lifelong change to the young people at whom its work is directed.
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