Pink Floyd drummer's event raises £200,000 for charities
A record £200,000 has been raised for emergency services during an annual charity event at the home of Pink Floyd's drummer, organisers say.More than 15,000 people visited the home of Nick and Annette Mason, at Middlewick House near Corsham, Wiltshire, from 7 to 8 June, during which Mason signed autographs and posed for pictures.The money will go towards Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity and the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, which provides free home security for vulnerable people.Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance deputy chief executive Barbara Gray said: "This year... was the largest event of all time, with a record attendance and an incredible amount raised for the two charities."
While organisers put new traffic measures in place for this year's event, the popularity of the fundraiser ended with people stuck in traffic for hours as they tried to leave.Organisers have since apologised for the travel issues, but described the event as a success, with the money generated enough to keep Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance flying for an entire week and help fund an operator's work in the community for The Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust for an entire year.
Visitors at the event were able to admire Mason's collection of sports cars, with local branches of car clubs adding to the vehicles on show, including Jaguar, Lotus, Ferrari, and Porsche.A Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance helicopter was also on display, remaining operational over the weekend.The charity has been running for 35 years and provides medical care by land and air, across Wiltshire and Bath.The Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust was established in 1998 to work with Wiltshire Police to provide a home security service for elderly and vulnerable people throughout the county.Director of The Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, Jennie Shaw, said: "We are so thankful for the support of the residents in Pickwick and Middlewick Lane because without their understanding, this event would not happen."Middlewick House Open Garden has been running since 2013 and gets bigger and bigger every year. We are already looking at the feedback from this year's event to make further improvements in 2026."
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