Packington Free Range Trots Off With Over £17K for charity
Staffordshire based pig and poultry farmers Packington Free Range trotted off with £17,250 for charity this weekend, with a special auction of unusual pigs at this year's 30th Lichfield Festival.
- (1888PressRelease) July 21, 2011 - The community event, which ended the eleven-day Festival, was hosted by BBC TV's Bargain Hunt presenter Charles Hanson and involved bidding on 30 fibreglass pigs, in an event which was sponsored by Packington Free Range. Over 500 people turned up to watch the event with over 150 bidding for the pigs. Bids ranged between £160 to £1300 for the prized Lichfield Cathedral Pig, named "Pearl".
Before the auction, each of the pigs were sent out to be uniquely decorated by local schools, businesses and community groups, in order to raise as much money as possible for the range of charities selected by this year's festival organisers.
The decorated pigs were then welcomed back to Lichfield, where they were dispersed around the town for a Pig Parade so that visitors to the festival could hunt for them and then admire them ahead of the charity Pig Parade auction, which took place on Sunday 17 July, the final day of this year's festival.
This is the first time that local farmers Packington Free Range have sponsored an event in the festival and the first time that the annual event have held such an auction, but the farm, which has been operating in the area for over 80 years, believes very strongly in giving back what it can to the local community. They also offered the schools and groups taking part, a special chance to visit the farm to meet their real life free-range pigs.
Rob Mercer, Joint Managing Director of Packington Free Range said: "We have been part of this community for many, many years and think it's really important for us to get involved in local initiatives. When the idea of a pig parade was borne, it made absolute sense for Packington to sponsor it - with a theme of pigs roaming free, it's the perfect fit!"
This year's festival attracted around 50,000 visitors to the city with the Pig Parade causing quite a stir from early May when the pigs began to be distributed. Festival Director, Fiona Stuart said "It's been pigs, pigs, pigs here for weeks! We've been overwhelmed by the response by the local community to this project and delighted that Packington Free Range has entered into the spirit of the project so enthusiastically. Their involvement in the Pig Parade proves how Corporate Sponsorship can be creative and fun for all involved with benefits on both sides."
Packington Free Range supplies butchers and farmshops all over the UK. For stockists please visit the website, www.packingtonfreerange.co.uk
About Us:
Packington Free Range is based in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire, where the family has been farming for more than 70 years. Packington Pork and Packington Cockerel are sold in some prestigious farm shops and butchers around the country, including Chatsworth Farm Shop and The Ginger Pig in Borough Market, London.
For more information about Packington Free Range including stockists, images and samples please contact Cream Communications on 0845 388 9584 / 0771 5709982 or email info ( @ ) creamcommunications dot co.uk
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