About the Auction
On Thursday 9th October 2025, our wonderful Pride of Lions will take centre stage at auction to raise money for Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospital’s Charity’s The Big Space Cancer Appeal.
This is your opportunity to offer one (or more) of the Pride a forever home, as a lasting memory to this summer’s wonderful trail. All 32 Big Lions and 2 Small Lions, will go under the hammer. The remaining small lions will return to the schools and community groups who fundraised for and decorated them, as a lasting legacy to the Lions at Large – The Pride of Gloucestershire Trail.
This spectacular event will take place from 6:30pm Live at Gloucester Cathedral as well as Online.
The auction will be ran by Harper Field Auctioneers, we thank them for giving their time and services in kind to support The Big Space Cancer Appeal.
Audio Visual equipment will be supplied by DBpixelhouse, we thank them for giving their time and service in kind to support The Big Space Cancer Appeal.
Tickets cost £15 and includes your bidding paddle, auction brochure, canapes and a glass of fizz on arrival.
Register your interest:
More about The Big Space Cancer Appeal
Help us build a bigger, brighter home for cancer care – for you, your loved ones, your community.
We are incredibly proud of The Big Space Cancer Appeal; raising funds for a new cancer centre that will offer local patients the very best environment for treatment, healing and recovery.
We have a vision for a wonderful new home. We are delighted that many kind people have supported our vision with donations and fundraising. Thanks to you, our supporters, £9m has been raised towards out £17.5m appeal target.
But we need your continued support to reach our target and make this dream a reality.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a designated Regional Cancer Centre and has provided specialist cancer care for people in our community for more than 60 years supporting hundreds of thousands of local people to receive the best care there is to offer. Many of the current facilities are over 25 years old and a new modern building is needed to care for future generations.
The first phase of the project is to build a new space at Cheltenham General Hospital to improve the environment inside and out for patients and staff. There will be modern consulting rooms complete with new digital technology, space for innovation and research trials as well as a new therapeutic garden. Existing facilities in the current Oncology Centre will also be upgraded as part of the second phase of the project.
We are hoping that each of the Lions will have a final hammer price of between £5,000 – £10,000 with the trail raising funds to add to The Big Space Cancer Appeal’s running total.
The Charity making hospital life better
Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity helps your local hospitals do more to care for you, everyone you love and our passionate NHS staff. Generous supporters touch thousands of local lives every day. From state-of-the-art equipment, transforming the hospital environment, supporting our incredible staff to specialist care. Funds raised from Lions at Large will go towards proposed new cancer care facilities in Cheltenham with digital consulting rooms, space for state-of-the-art research, as well as a therapeutic outside space.
Donate
Auction FAQs
Can I buy a Lion Sculpture?
Yes, the large Lions will be sold at the charity auction on Thursday 9th October. There will also be 3 very special Lion Cubs available to buy.
Can anyone bid for them?
Yes – the sculptures are available for anyone to bid on.
You can either join us at Gloucester Cathedral to Bid in person or Bid online.
All the information will be on this web page closer to the time.
How will the auction work?
Harper Field Auctioneers will run the auction at Gloucester Cathedral from 6:30pm on Thursday 9th October 2025.
Each person in the room will have a paddle to Bid and Harper Field will manage the online and in room Bids.
How do I get a ticket for the Live Auction?
Please register your interest on this page.
We will then be in touch when tickets are available.
Tickets cost £15 and includes your bidding paddle, auction brochure, canapes and a glass of fizz on arrival.
What if I can’t make the Auction?
Online bidding will be available or you can submit your best and final offer which will be used to Bid on your behalf on the evening. More information will be detailed on this webpage when available.
If a bid is successful, how do I pay for my Lion?
Payment is due immediately after the sale. Proof of ID will be required. Alternatively, we can issue an invoice for bank transfer (Live Auction bids ONLY). Sculptures will not be released until payment is received.
Will I pay VAT or comission on top of the hammer price?
The auction is a fundraising event for Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity’s Big Space Cancer Appeal. There will be no VAT added to the auction value of each sculpture. There is also no buyer’s premium.
How will I get my Lion home?
You will have until 1st November 2025 to collect your sculpture. Details for this will be on your buyers invoice. Our logistics partner will be present at the event to make arrangements for delivery, should you wish
What size are the sculptures?
The large sculptures are:
H 1250 x L 1700 x W 600
Weight: 40kgs
The small sculptures are:
H 700 x L 1200 x W 400
Weight: 10kgs
What are the Lions made from?
The sculptures are made from a mixture of class II fire retardant laminating resin and chopped roving fiberglass over and initial brushed-on layer of gel coat.
Are the sculptures weatherproof?
The sculptures have been lacquered by Cotswold Cheltenham BMW and therefore they are protected to a professional standard.
They have been outside on the trail for 9 weeks. They are happy being inside or outside, but may require annual maintenance to keep the paintwork/finish in good condition.
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