Ed Sheeran’s abstract painting Dab 2, the only artwork he has ever made available for public sale, was the star lot reaching £40,000 whilst his handwritten lyrics for Perfect, dedicated to his wife Cherry, fetched £23,500.  Other top lots included a signed Damien Hirst print fetching £20,000, an original page of script from Love Actually at £17,000. Colin Davidson’s Ed Sheeran sketch which raised £12,400 and John Mayer’s PRS Silver Sky guitar went for £5,100. Even a small handful of Ed Sheeran’s childhood Lego added to the final total at an incredible £4,150.

The Auction was organised by Gina Long, founder of GeeWizz children’s charity, working closely with Ed’s parents John and Imogen Sheeran, who wanted to create a lasting legacy from the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk Exhibition in Ipswich, which opened last year.

“Without the incredible generosity of Ed, John and Imogen Sheeran, our sponsors, auction lot donors from around the world, our Legacy Auction fundraiser would simply not have happened.” Gina Long said. “We are especially indebted to our headline sponsor Guy Nicholls of tru7 Group, who an addition to the £406,000 we have raised in the online auction,  has donated a further £100,000, bringing our total raised to over £500,000. Seeing the huge amount, we have raised, fills all of us on the auction team with joy, knowing our wonderful legacy projects can now become a reality. The response has been truly remarkable, especially during such challenging and uncertain times.   But it is in this very different world that the need to deliver our two life-changing legacy projects could not be greater. Our legacy auction is literally going to change many lives for the better, that has to be the greatest gift of all.”

All proceeds from the auction will help GeeWizz children’s charity and Zest (St Elizabeth Hospice) to fund two vital projects supporting children, teenagers and young people across East Anglia with special educational needs, high dependency disabilities, life-limiting illness and cancer.

John Sheeran, Ed’s father said: “The total raised is way beyond our expectations and we are so pleased that it will create important lasting legacies to improve the quality of care and wellbeing for children and young adults across Suffolk and beyond, Imogen and I would like to thank everyone who generously donated lots, joined in the bidding, and organised and supported the auction. We cannot think of a better legacy for the exhibition to leave.”