Portsoy 75 Club is highest bidder at Clan Cancer Support's lighthouse auction to secure 'Riding Out The Storm' sculpture for community
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A PORTSOY community group was the highest bidder at a grand charity auction last night which raised £324,200 for Clan Cancer Support.
The Clan team is on "cloud nine" after its lighthouse trail finale saw more than 50 specially designed lighthouses sold to boost its coffers.
Clan's "Light the North" campaign, a partnership with Wild in Art, saw talented UK artists design 50 individual 2.5-metre tall lighthouses which were then displayed around the north-east and northern isles from August 9 to October 17.
The lighthouses went under the hammer at Thainstone Exchange at Inverurie, with both in-person and online bidders vying for the sculptures.
As well as the 50 large lighthouse sculptures, eight small designed lighthouses, and two small and two large blank lighthouses were sold.
The highest bid of the night was for Lot 38 – "Riding Out The Storm" – created by artist Rachel Davies and sponsored by BP.
Riding Out The Storm spent the 10 weeks of the trail installed at Portsoy Harbour and locals were determined to secure the ceramic sculpture for the community.
The not-for-profit Portsoy 75 Club set about raising the funds to bring the sculpture home via a crowdfunder.
The organisation, which supports the Portsoy community through fundraising and activities, paid £13,500 for the artwork.
Brian Sutherland, chairman of Portsoy 75 Club, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have secured the future of the lighthouse in Portsoy.
"It was a tense bid that kept us on the edge of our seats but it's fantastic that Portsoy won, and also raised a brilliant sum of money for Clan too, which helps them continue to deliver their much-needed services across the north-east.
"Our sincere thanks go to everyone who has donated, fundraised and supported the efforts towards the lighthouse bid.
"It's really quite amazing what the community of Portsoy has achieved."
The sculpture trail drew people to explore the area, and inspired artists, schools and the public across the country while raising vital funds.
Clan's Fiona Fernie, project director for Light the North, said: "We are still coming down from cloud nine.
"We are so grateful to everyone who generously placed their bids last night to be in with the chance of owning one of these incredible sculptures. We had a figure in mind, but this has surpassed that.
"The auction finale was the culmination of two years of hard work on this project – with the curve ball of Covid-19 thrown in.
"To see how the people of Scotland took the trail to their hearts and the resulting funds it has raised is something that the Clan team will not forget and are very grateful for."
Fiona said cancer patients had been particularly hard hit during the pandemic due to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
She added: "Clan has helped people live with and beyond a cancer diagnosis for over 38 years, but we need the support of projects and events such as Light the North to continue being here for them and to support even more people, which is exactly what the incredible funds raised last night will do."
