Friday 29th May

Charity auction | Here for life

Bid on incredible automotive lots to support Papyrus UK in honour of PHer Christopher

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Christopher was a born engineer and a true petrolhead. He grew up in the passenger seat of his dad’s cars, starting with a 996 GT3, passed his driving test with zero faults, and was about to start a dream motorsport apprenticeship with Tuthill Porsche. He was even mastering the art of Man Maths to justify buying an E61 M5.

But Christopher also battled depression and anxiety. Those struggles overwhelmed him, and tragically his life ended far too soon last June aged just 20.

Suicide remains the leading cause of death for under-35s in the UK, and autistic males are nine times more likely to take their own lives. With NHS mental health waiting lists currently stretching into years, charities like Papyrus UK are providing a lifesaving lifeline to young people in crisis.

To honour Christopher’s memory, his parents Andrew and Gilly (both longstanding PHers) have organised a month-long online auction, running from June 1 to 30. The automotive and sporting worlds have stepped up massively, offering an incredible selection of lots, including:

• F1 team factory tours
• Porsche driving experiences
• Goodwood Festival of Speed tickets
• A professional photoshoot with top UK automotive photographer, GF Williams
• Pete Tong DJ School sessions, signed football shirts, and much more.

Whether you want to secure a dream experience or simply support a vital cause, click the link here to view the lots, register, and place your bids. Or you can simply donate directly to Papyrus here (please remember to complete the “is there a reason for your donation” field with “Christopher D”).

Where to go for help

The Health Matters forum on PistonHeads can be an incredibly supportive environment where people are often happy to lend an ear and offer friendly reassurance. But of course for professional advice, you should always speak to your GP or other qualified medical specialists.

If you or someone you know is struggling, confidential support is available 24/7:

• PAPYRUS Hopeline 24/7: Call 0300 102 2470 | Text HOPE to 88247 | Email [e-mail]
• Samaritans: Call 116 123
• NHS 111: Call 111
• Shout Crisis Text Line: Text SHOUT to 85258
• CALM (5pm–midnight): Call 0800 58 58 58

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Check out the auction lots here

Porsche 911 photo credit: George Williams

[GreatScott2016]

Sounds fantastic, just such a shame that it’s triggered by such sad news.

[markcoopers]

Brother in law went the same way recently. I will be bidding.

[Water Fairy]

Bravo

[silentbrown]

(But the link to the auction lots at the foot of the article is wrong!)

[pidsy]

Great cause under sad circumstances.

Lots I’ll bid for.

[williamp]

Thank you for doing this

[Ben Lowden]

silentbrown said:

(But the link to the auction lots at the foot of the article is wrong!)

Thanks for flagging, all sorted.

[Slippydiff]

I only learnt of this tragic news a few weeks ago. So sad.
My thoughts are with you, your wife and family Andrew.

[Ben Lowden]

Bidding is now open!

[silentbrown]

Ben Lowden said:

Bidding is now open!

Haven't you missed a trick by having them all ending at the same time? If I'm outbid on one at the last moment I've no opportunity to bid for something else instead.

[AndrewD]

Thank you everyone who has registered and bid. We’ve been open since 9am and already are up to £5,000 which has frankly astonished me. Let’s see what we can do by the end of the month!

We may have a small number of additional lots as well, just waiting for confirmation.

[AndrewD]

silentbrown said:

Haven't you missed a trick by having them all ending at the same time? If I'm outbid on one at the last moment I've no opportunity to bid for something else instead.

At the scheduled end of the auction, there needs to be a clear minute with no bids otherwise it will extend, so you’ll be able to bid on something else

[silentbrown]

AndrewD said:

At the scheduled end of the auction, there needs to be a clear minute with no bids otherwise it will extend, so you ll be able to bid on something else

That prevents sniping, but not sure how that helps unless I want to bid more on the same item? I'd suggest having one lot ending every day.

[AndrewD]

silentbrown said:

That prevents sniping, but not sure how that helps unless I want to bid more on the same item? I'd suggest having one lot ending every day.

The extra time applies to all of the items. Only once all bidding activity has stopped for 60 seconds will the entire auction close and the winners finalised.

[silentbrown]

AndrewD said:

The extra time applies to all of the items. Only once all bidding activity has stopped for 60 seconds will the entire auction close and the winners finalised.

Ah, that's different. Looks like it's going well so far!

[AndrewD]

silentbrown said:

Ah, that's different. Looks like it's going well so far!

The response so far has been amazing. We were really not sure what to expect but we hoped the lots would be attractive and people have been so kind promoting us on social media and to their friends etc.

[GFWilliams]

I was lucky enough to meet Christopher and was shocked and saddened by his passing. I feel privileged to be asked by Andrew to be a small part of this, and I'm excited to raise some money and do an amazing shoot in Christopher's honour.

[AndrewD]

GFWilliams said:

I was lucky enough to meet Christopher and was shocked and saddened by his passing. I feel privileged to be asked by Andrew to be a small part of this, and I'm excited to raise some money and do an amazing shoot in Christopher's honour.

The lucky winner will have some absolutely fantastic photos of their car. Proper artistry. Thank you for your generosity, George.