A charity auction featuring 300 personal items belonging to Suffolk superstar Ed Sheeran will be held in his home county – and it’s open to everybody.
The Ed Sheeran auction will be taking place in Stowmarket, a few miles up the road from Framlingham where the global star was brought up and went to school.
Highlights include the pop star’s very own custom made and played Martin Guitar worth £2,000-£3,000; an Ed Sheeran life-size Lego Head which has an estimate of £800-£1,200; a pair of Ed’s used Nike trainers which could fetch around £80-£120 and his used orange headphones which may sell for around £80-£120.
Also included in this special collection are Ed’s used snapped Drumsticks which have an estimate of £40-£60 and the songwriter’s old rugby shirt from school which could fetch over £120.
The news comes just hours after it was announced that Ed will be returning to Suffolk for two headline concerts next summer.
The belongings have all been generously donated by the Sheeran family following a big clear up of Ed’s old bedroom at his family home.
Fans of the pop sensation will be able to bid for his items, with prices ranging from £10 to thousands of pounds.
There will also be a special lottery available whereby you can purchase a ticket for £1 and be in with a chance to own a T-Shirt previously owned by Ed Sheeran.
A full list of all the items being sold will be released later in October with a preview evening.
All proceeds raised from the auction will go directly to support Zest, a new initiative created by St Elizabeth Hospice to support the care of young adults in the region who are living with progressive and terminal illnesses.
Helen Finlinson, young adult care and transition lead for St Elizabeth, said: “It is not widely known that St Elizabeth Hospice already offers care for young adults in Suffolk from the age of 14 and through Zest we are looking to expand our care options to include, in the first instance, supported weekend breaks – a service that is not currently widely available in our region but something we have now committed to delivering from next year.
“We are already a centre of excellence in the subject of young adult care and currently share our experience and expertise with other health professionals around the country.”
Rachel Backshall, director of income generation and marketing, added: “The needs of these young people are complex and not totally understood because in many cases the challenges their care presents are new; but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t rise to the challenge.
“By raising financial support through Zest we will be looking for the first time to offer hospice care for this age group beyond our traditional hospice geographic boundaries, offering an east Anglian solution. To do this we will also be fundraising further afield.”
Ms Backshall continued: “The vibrant Zest brand will not only support the vital work of the hospice but also help us explain to a new audience about what the hospice does. Yes we do help people at the end of life but the majority of our work is about ensuring that people are able to maximise the life they have left available to them- this can often be over a number of years. As we say we don’t let death kill life and this is so important to young adults.”
Commenting on the auction, Ed said: “I’m really pleased to be able to help St Elizabeth Hospice with their Zest initiative. The care of young adults living with terminal illnesses is vital and I’m so pleased that the auction will raise both awareness and support for this important cause.”
Oliver Miller, Managing Director of Bishop & Miller, said: “We’ve been really excited to partner up with Zest to hold this exclusive auction. It’s special as this sale is truly open to everyone with a variety of items being sold at different prices.
“So it will be possible for the biggest super fan to buy something for a relatively modest price – that said we are expecting lots of money to be raised for some of the most highly sought-after pieces of memorabilia.”
Full details of the items being sold in the Ed Sheeran Collection & Music & Memorabilia Auction and how you can bid on line, in the salesroom and on the phone, will all be available on the Bishop & Miller website from October 18 with a special preview evening the details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.
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