A CHILDREN’S charity has benefited from an auction held at Gorringes Auction House in Lewes.

A collection of unusual and Victorian artefacts were on offer kindly donated by Brighton Palace Pier to raise vital funds for Rockinghorse.

All the items auctioned had previously been displayed in the pier’s Victoria Bar, which has since undergone a refurbishment.

The auction raised £4,810 for Rockinghorse children’s charity – the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital (the Alex) in Brighton.

The 31 lots included unusual and unique display items such as signage, musical instruments, Victorian prams and even an old rocking horse.

The most popular lot proved to be the musical instrument bundle, which included two modern cellos and a bass, selling for £1,600.

Gorringes waived all commission costs for the special charity auction, so that everything raised on the day was able to be donated to the charity’s ongoing projects at the Alex and associated paediatric units and children’s centres across the county.

Terrina Barnes, corporate fundraising manager at Rockinghorse, said: “When Brighton Palace Pier first approached us with the idea of auctioning items from their Victoria Bar, neither parties were sure how valuable they would be.

“Thanks to the support from Gorringes Auction House, we are delighted to have received almost £5,000 from the auction – a great success! Huge thanks to Brighton Palace Pier and Gorringes for their generosity.”

Neil Blackmore, sales and marketing manager at Brighton Palace Pier, said: “It’s fantastic the auction was such a great success and it’s always a pleasure to support a local children’s charity such as Rockinghorse.”