A family support charity is to benefit from funds raised after cover art from this year’s Royston Arts Festival was bought at auction by a parent of one of the children who helped design the piece.

Royston Crow: Some of the 2017 competition winners - Leo Girling, 11, Grace Bonley and Perdy Brooks, nine, and eight-year-old Nico Sofocleous - with Stacey Leigh Ross. Picture: Terry HartgaSome of the 2017 competition winners - Leo Girling, 11, Grace Bonley and Perdy Brooks, nine, and eight-year-old Nico Sofocleous - with Stacey Leigh Ross. Picture: Terry Hartga (Image: Terry Hartga)

Event organisers Creative Royston raised £210 for Home-Start Royston & South Cambs from the artwork, created by artist Stacey Leigh Ross from the work of 20 schoolchildren.

The winning bid came from Charlotte McLachlan’s mum Pip who was keen to both support the cause and secure a lasting memory of her daughter’s work.

But Pip was originally outbid by Creative Royston volunteer, and long-time supporter of Home-Start, Angus Batey.

Creative Royston chairwoman Kirsten Grimmer told the Crow: “Knowing how keen Charlotte and her mum were to win the art, we approached Angus upon opening the bids to ask if he would be happy to stand aside if the runner up could beat his bid. Luckily, he graciously stepped aside.

“Upon hearing how much he’d been outbid, Angus said he was really pleased it had gone to a good home.”

Home-Start RSC has been entirely self-funded since 2015, and senior co-ordinator Sarah Mascall said: “We are so grateful to Creative Royston for choosing us.

“It feels very fitting that the artwork incorporated so many clever designs by local children, as well as the theme of the piece being ‘changes’. This is very much in alignment with the support that we offer to local families – empowering people to make positive changes in their lives.

This donation will enable us to provide ongoing training and support for one volunteer for a whole year – incredible and thank you so much.”

Charlotte’s mum Pip said: “We have enjoyed seeing the evolution of this piece from Charlotte coming up with her Chameleon, leaf printing and changes quote, to Stacey’s progress updates and final piece as a coherent compilation of such a range of approaches taken by the many contributing children. We are grateful to Angus for allowing us to out-bid him, Charlotte especially so, offering to make up the difference from her money bank.

“However, with the proceeds going to a charity as valuable and essential to our community we didn’t need to be asked twice.”

And Charlotte added: “I’m very excited about winning the canvas because I did the ‘changing is life’ part of it and it looks very beautiful all together.”