Thank you for taking the time to visit our auction, part of an effort to raise £60,000 for Breast Cancer Now, the UK's leading secondary breast cancer charity, in memory of Penny Rawlinson.

We lost our Mum to breast cancer this year. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2015. She underwent 9 months of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, sustained by her characteristic courage and good humour. She was given the 'all-clear' and returned to work in September 2016 as a housemistress at the Cheltenham Ladies' College for a final year before retirement. She was enjoying being back with the girls, whilst she was also looking forward to all the new opportunities that retirement would bring. But, on 3rd May 2017 she was told that the cancer had returned, and six days later it claimed her life.

There are no words to describe what she experienced, or what we went through with her. We want to raise as much money as possible for research into the cruel disease that robbed her of so much that she had to look forward to and that took her from us so prematurely. We believe that supporting Breast Cancer Now is the best chance we have of ensuring that in the future, no one will have to experience what she did.

One in eight women in the UK will face breast cancer in their lifetime. Every 45 minutes, another woman dies from the disease. This disease affects everyone, everywhere.

Breast Cancer Now is the UK's leading secondary breast cancer charity, which is an area of research that we believe is underdeveloped and under-supported. It focusses its research on prevention, early detection and diagnosis of secondary breast cancer. We believe this research is crucial if we are to fight breast cancer this cruel disease taking lives. Breast Cancer Now’s aim is that by 2050, everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

We have now also made this our aim. Mum would have been 60 on the 20 October 2017, which in an extraordinary coincidence was also breast cancer awareness day. Hence we are raising £60,000. We hope that you will support us in our mission.

The auction is one of several fundraising initiatives. In April we will run the London Marathon and, through the generosity of friends, family and those who don’t know, we have already raised over £15,000. See our fundraising page here.

The lots have been donated by our fantastic supporters and every penny we raise will go to Breast Cancer Now. So check out our prizes, we have had some incredibly generous donations and we think that there are some great prizes up for grabs. So please treat yourself, and give to something worthwhile in the process.