The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Auctioneer raises £7,000 for causes
An aspiring young auctioneer has helped raise more than £7,000 for rural charities following a UK-wide auctioneering road trip earlier this year.
Jack Walton, 18, from Worcestershire, visited 24 livestock marts across the UK in a bid to raise funds for Scots rural charity RSABI and its equivalent south of the border – the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Fund (RABI).
The six-week fundraising feat, which resulted in Mr Walton travelling more than 1,000 miles, started at Dingwall Mart and included visits to Forfar Mart and United Auctions at Stirling.
The aspiring auctioneer, who has been helping out at Worcester Livestock Mart for the past three years, has just started a degree in rural land management at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester.
On each of his visits to marts across the country he auctioned off one pen of lambs and the market’s commission was donated to his fundraising pot, which totalled £7,316.97.
Mr Walton, who is the grandson of renowned Suffolk breeder Michael Walton from Roseden Farm in Northumberland, said: “For as long as I can remember I’ve loved attending livestock marts with my grandfather and was always itching to have a go on the rostrum.
“My journey not only raised a significant amount of money for charity, but also gave me the opportunity to meet people within the industry and gain knowledge and experience.
“I am overwhelmed with the response I have received throughout the summer. I have met the most wonderful people, auctioned some tremendous livestock and I am very grateful to all the marts that have supported me and to everyone who has donated so generously to the charities.”