Over £11,400 was raised for the Farming Help Charities at the third annual Cornish Supper & Charity Auction held at the Royal Cornwall Showground last week (June 10).

Edward Buckland Auctioneers led the event which generated the highest total, and saw its biggest attendance, since the event started three years ago. The annual event raises funds for three of the region’s leading rural charities who carry out vital work in the community, providing discreet help and assistance to those in need.

This year’s auction evening was in aid of Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), Addington Fund and the Farming Community Network (FCN) and was supported by South West rural insurer, Cornish Mutual, accountancy firm PKF Francis Clark and the South West Agricultural division of Barclays Bank who were also able to provide match funding of £2,000.

Hundreds of guests, which included sea shanty group the Boscastle Buoys and many Cornish Mutual Members, filled the Cornish Mutual stand opposite the Members Pavilion for the evening.

The stand-out lots included a brand new sheep rollover crate, for £550, a gourmet meal for eight cooked by Beetham Food, for £450, and a signed Leicester City football shirt fetched £300.

Edward Buckland of Edward Buckland Chartered Surveyors and Auctioneers, said: “Thanks to everyone who attended and made it such a successful evening, we were overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of everyone who attended. These charities continue to perform a vital role within the County of Cornwall, providing help and assistance to those in times of great need and all of these have seen their caseloads increase in the past 12 months.”

Alan Goddard, managing director of Cornish Mutual, said: “Events like these are vital to ensure that our rural charities continue the very important work they do in supporting our communities. It’s important to have a trusted and confidential support network to fall back on when people hit hard times. We are delighted that the evening raised so much for these worthy charities, and we thank everyone for their generosity.”

Cornish Mutual has more than 24,000 Members across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, and is the only general insurer based in the South West offering insurance to farms, businesses and individuals. In 2015, the rural insurer’s Field Force team visited over 12,000 Members across the South West, with a combined travel distance of 240,000 miles.

For more information about Cornish Mutual visit www.cornishmutual.co.uk