The owner of a home improvements company is organising a charity auction in memory of his late father to raise money for two causes close to his heart.<\/p>\n
The auction at Peninsula in Gaerwen on Anglesey is being staged at an open day to celebrate the firm\u2019s 40th<\/sup> anniversary and will be in aid of St David\u2019s Hospice and the UK\u2019s first female-only charity ultra marathon, the She Ultra.<\/p>\n The event on Thursday, July 18, is brainchild of company chairman Ken Grayson and will also see the unveiling of their new \u00a3150,000 Grand Designs-style showroom extension.<\/p>\n It will be officially opened by celebrity interior designer Mandy Watkins, one of the judges on the popular BBC Wales show, Wales’ Home of the Year, whose business, Space Like This, is based in Menai Bridge.<\/p>\n Mandy, who styled the new showroom, is offering a free, hour long consultation as one of the lots for the auction.<\/p>\n Other prizes have been donated by a whole host of local companies and business associates and the master of ceremonies wielding the gavel will be well-known local estate agent Dafydd Hardy, who is also a trustee of the hospice charity.<\/p>\n Catering for the big day is being done by one of Ken\u2019s old school friends,\u00a0 Paul Withington, whose Conwy-based company, The Coconut Kitchen, specialises in award-winning Thai cuisine.<\/p>\n As well as being a day of celebration, it will be a poignant occasion for Ken, whose father Barrie passed away in 2020.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cMy Dad who started the company was a big charity fundraiser who raised thousands of pounds for good causes over the years, so this is a nod to him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would have been very proud of what we have achieved as we celebrate this landmark anniversary and I\u2019m sure he\u2019d love the new showroom extension.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a charitable purpose to the occasion is very appropriate and it\u2019s also going to be a lot of fun, especially with Dafydd Hardy running the auction.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hugely grateful to everyone for their generosity in donating some absolutely brilliant prizes.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth the charities we\u2019re raising money for help people affected by cancer\u00a0 and we\u2019ve set ourselves a target of \u00a35,000 and maybe more.\u201d<\/p>\n Huw Williams, who founded the She Ultra, is also an old schoolmate of Ken\u2019s and was diagnosed with inoperable neuro-endocrine cancer in 2019.<\/p>\n The inaugural event in April along a 31-mile course on the Llyn Peninsula was a huge success with more than 500 women taking part, among them Ken\u2019s partner, Majella Nicholson, who is also an ambassador for it.<\/p>\n According to Huw, who also organises the popular Pen Llyn Ultra races, the aim of the She Ultra is to raise money for women\u2019s cancer charities.<\/p>\n Huw said: \u201cMajella\u2019s been impacted by cancer with losing her Dad. The whole point of the She Ultra is to raise funds for women with cancer, women who live with someone with cancer or women who have lost someone to cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a race. It\u2019s an event with no cut offs so the women can take as long as they want. We have an all-women event team with a few men on the periphery.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s also in memory of the women we have lost to cancer so the next year is already sold out with 1,500 women signed up.\u201d<\/p>\n Also grateful for the support was Jane Richardson, the St David\u2019s Hospice\u2019s community fundraiser for Anglesey.<\/p>\n The charity, which has 12 beds at the main hospice in Llandudno, another four at Ysbyty Penrhos in Holyhead and a therapy centre at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, needs to raise \u00a37 million a year to run it\u2019s vital services.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cI\u2019m absolutely thrilled because every penny counts, particularly as we\u2019re in a cost of living crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n Among those supporting the charity auction is Justin Williams, from Frongoch Garden Centre in Caernarfon, who said: \u201cWe were delighted to help because, like Peninsula, we are part of the community and we\u2019re part of the same eco-system really.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a similar message from Aled Seeney, from County Tiles, which has shops in Holyhead and Llandygai, near Bangor.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cWe\u2019re both family businesses and we always try and help each other if we can and we\u2019ve been established as a business for a similar time \u2013 we\u2019ve been going for 42 years and I\u2019m the third generation of our family.<\/p>\n \u201cWe felt it was important to help out because the two charities are ones that we have supported.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother is an ultra-runner and she ran the She Ultra in Penllyn and is an ambassador for the event. She\u2019s also done fund-raising for St David\u2019s Hospice so when Ken asked it was quite fortuitous.\u201d<\/p>\n Lots in charity auction<\/strong><\/p>\n Auction prize worth \u00a31000 from Peninsula Windows<\/p>\n HD projector to the value of \u00a3250.00 from Peninsula Windows<\/p>\n Builders Radio worth \u00a385 from CL Jones<\/p>\n \u00a330 voucher from Valley Hotel<\/p>\n \u00a3250 cash from Mabon Scaffolding<\/p>\n Two prizes of gas boiler services worth \u00a3100.00 each from SKL Plumbing<\/p>\n \u00a350 voucher from Lloyds Blinds<\/p>\n Two prizes of \u00a3100 Wagamamas voucher and a \u00a3100 Pizza Express voucher from Roberts of Port Dinorwig<\/p>\n Voucher for Tavern on the Bay from Simon Lowe<\/p>\n Cleaning hamper to the value of \u00a360 from Love to Clean<\/p>\n MOT voucher worth \u00a360 from Modurdy<\/p>\n A dry robe worth \u00a3165 from Concept Spa<\/p>\n Sunday lunch for two including a bottle of wine to the value of \u00a375 from Four Crosses, Menai Bridge<\/p>\n A day entry ticket for a family of five, two adults and three children to Portmeirion<\/p>\n A set of tickets to Portmeirion Food and Craft Fair in December<\/p>\n A garden set worth \u00a3600 form Fron Goch Garden Centre<\/p>\n A weekend away for eight people from Gorwel<\/p>\n Bed and breakfast for one night from The Slate<\/p>\n A \u00a3500 voucher from Brian Fox Carpets<\/p>\n 15 square metres of tiles from County Tiles<\/p>\n A voucher for four pizzas worth \u00a350 and a driving range and golf lesson with Mathew Wharton worth \u00a3150 from Popty Pizza<\/p>\n An Anglesey gift hamper to the value of \u00a3100 from LA Accounting<\/p>\n One steak box to include 10 sirloin steaks, a bottle of Aber Falls whisky and a bottle of Aber Falls gin to the value of \u00a3100 from Harlech Foodservice<\/p>\n Four vouchers for underground golf worth \u00a395 from Zip World<\/p>\n A one hour consultancy worth \u00a3250 from Mandy Watkins<\/p>\n A day\u2019s electrical work from IGR<\/p>\n Flights and a two night stay in Salzburg, Austria from Internorm<\/p>\n