Bonhams BLUE auction raises over £400k for NHS Charities appeal

All of the 61 lots found winning bidders, bringing in a total of £405,300 and, with Bonhams waiving all fees, all the money raised will go directly to the appeal.

The highest value item was a personal invitation from The Duke of Richmond to join one of his exclusive track days at the Goodwood Motor Circuit which raised £25,000. A Williams Formula 1 VIP experience for two at the 2021 British Grand Prix was a close second, raising £22,000 while a race suit worn by Lewis Hamilton during his pursuit of the 2019 F1 World Championship attracted a winning bid of £12,000.

Other incredible once-in-a-lifetime prizes arranged for by Bonhams included being the personal guest of Alan Davies at an episode of QI, being shown behind the scenes of Have I Got News For You by Paul Merton and Ian Hislop, tea with members of the cast of The Queen and even a personal edition of University Challenge hosted by Jeremy Paxman for the winning bidder’s family versus one of their choosing.

Patrick Masson, Bonhams Managing Director for the UK and Europe said: “This is a truly fantastic result and we are so pleased to have played our part in supporting the NHS staff and volunteers working so hard for us on the frontline. We would like to thank all the generous donors for making this possible, and to congratulate the winners, who now have some exceptional experiences to look forward to.”

Lewis Hamilton image courtesy of Motorsport Images, main image by Jayson Fong.