Remembrance painting raises £13,000 for military charity

A specially-commissioned painting to honour fallen soldiers has become the focus of a major fundraising event which raised tens of thousands for Help for Heroes, after it was auctioned for a considerable amount. 

The Northern Echo reports that a winter ball at the Tennants in Leyburn, attracted an audience of around 400 people, including Middlesbrough FC chairman Steve Gibson and first team manager Aitor Karanka. 

The crowning glory of the fundraising ball was an auction for the charity, which had many fantastic lots. Overall, it raised a substantial £72,500 for the good cause. The star attraction, though, was the painting by Mackenzie Thorpe, whose piece Remembrance garnered much attention.

It was originally commissioned by the Northern Echo as a work of art to be used on the front cover of its Remembrance Sunday edition this year, but the original was auctioned off at the event, with an anonymous bidder offering up £13,000 to become the new owner. 

Middlesbrough-born Mackenzie, who was a guest of The Northern Echo at the ball, said: "It was an honour to be asked to be involved and I'm very happy that it raised valuable funds for such a fantastic charity."

Help for Heroes will also benefit from the sales of prints of the painting. These are being sold by the artist's own Arthaus Gallery, and will go for the sum of £295 each. There are 100 limited edition framed editions to be bought, so it should raise a considerable amount for the charity again. 

The Northern Echo's editor Peter Barron, who was master of ceremonies at the event, said: "It was an unforgettable occasion and everyone at The Northern Echo is thrilled that 'Remembrance' raised such a lot of money."

Recent fundraising efforts for Help for Heroes have seen a lot of success, with Christmas appearing as the time of year when people most want to dip into their pockets. School concerts and fundraising events across the nation have seen thousands raised this month alone.