ART-LOVERS have just one day left to get their hands on some stunning pictures being auctioned off to raise funds for Coventry’s Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice.
Among the lots of the ebay auction are a signed original picture of a ‘Giant Stork with its Chick’ created by one of Britain’s best-loved illustrators Sir Quentin Blake. It is in the medium of pen, ink and watercolour on watercolour paper.
Others include original watercolours of a red squirrel, an octopus and a secretary bird by Etel Labodi.
The auction closes at 8pm tomorrow (Saturday).
Zoe’s Place is the UK’s only baby-specific hospice and has stayed open during the lockdown so it can continue to offer its services to those who rely on them.
The auction was organised by parents’ fundraising group, Little Fighters, in aid of the UK’s only baby-specific hospice, Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice, is now underway, featuring over 50 items from artists around the midlands and further afield in Cambridge and Hay-on-Wye, to name a few.
Little Fighters representative Claire Baines said: “Having the support of Sir Quentin Blake is incredible and I’m very much looking forward to his piece being part of the auction, although I’ll be highly jealous of the person who gets their hands on it!
“Any support for the auction is hugely appreciated and knowing our efforts have been acknowledged by one of the most recognisable illustrators really does mean a lot, especially to a parent like myself who wouldn’t know where they would be without Zoë’s Place.”
Birmingham based deaf award-winning multi-talented contemporary artist, Olivier Jamin, has also donated two pieces of artwork to the auction, entitled Birds and Alright Bab, worth £60 and £150 respectively.
Claire added: “Olivier’s passion for art is evident in his work and to have one of his pieces in our auction is amazing.
“The quality is outstanding and his support to raise money for the hospice is greatly appreciated.”
Little Fighters has also supported Zoë’s Place with fund-raising drives such as ‘The Big Bear Hunt’ charity walks, charity calendars and quizzes throughout the last couple of years, raising over £7,000 for Zoë’s Place, the hospice they all value.
The group comprises of parents to children that seek care and support from Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice at the charity’s Coventry site.
Claire said: “My son Joel, has been using Zoë’s Place since November 2016 due to being born with a Laryngeal Cleft.
“He lives with the aid of a tracheostomy, a tube that aids his breathing, and a gastrostomy, a feeding tube that goes directly into the stomach to aid his feeding as he is nil by mouth.
“As Joel needs 24/7 trained medical care to manage his airway, the hospice was an absolute lifeline that we never would have imagined having to use.
“Knowing he is safe in the hands of a team of nurses who can manage his cares is a huge weight of our shoulders and means I can sleep and take time for myself which isn’t possible when caring for him full time.
“Joel’s development also benefits from all the therapies and play that I often do not have time to do on top of the medical side.”
Click here for the auction page.
