SWANSEA: Regatta painting up for auction as cancer appeal sails past £200,000

An oil painting of the Lord Mayor’s Regatta is up for auction for a cancer appeal that has just crossed its £200,000 finish line.

Swansea artist Jeff Phillips donated the painting to the Going the Extra Mile for Cancer Appeal, championed by former Lord Mayor Cllr Cheryl Philpott, presenting it at the Guildhall.

Phillips, whose work has been exhibited internationally, attended this year’s regatta and took photographs around Swansea Bay, painting from the results.

The finished piece shows sailing vessels on the bay, with Mumbles Lighthouse and the RNLI lifeboat station among the landmarks.

“I was invited to one of Cheryl’s events and we were talking about the Lord Mayor’s Charity,” Phillips said. “I said I’d do a special painting to be auctioned for the charity.

“Hopefully when it goes to auction it will raise a considerable sum for a very worthwhile cause.”

Cllr Philpott said: “One of the key events during my year as Lord Mayor was the relaunch of the Lord Mayor’s Regatta in Mumbles, so Jeff attended, took photographs and then created this absolutely stunning painting for us.

“It has been wonderful to see different people and organisations come together to support the appeal. I am incredibly grateful to Jeff for his generosity.”

The appeal is run by Swansea Bay Health Charity, the official charity of Swansea Bay University Health Board, and will fund the refurbishment of the cancer centre’s outpatient area at Singleton Hospital, creating a brighter, more welcoming space for patients and families from across south west Wales.

The appeal is separate from the £15m PET-CT scanner centre rising at the same hospital, which is Welsh Government-funded.

And it has now hit its target. Charity manager Lewis Bradley said: “We are delighted to have now reached our £200,000 fundraising target, which is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the incredible generosity and support behind the appeal.”

The milestone caps a summer of fundraising across the region: in June the appeal stood £20,000 short, with an all-women’s touch rugby tournament in Ystradgynlais among the events aiming to carry it over the line.

Last summer’s inaugural Touched by Cancer tournament alone raised £24,000, and this year’s, in August, saw 20 teams each pledge at least £500.

Among the appeal’s champions is Kev Johns MBE, who has received care at Singleton himself and has long pushed for improvements to the city’s cancer services.

“The income from the painting will allow us to build on that success and further enhance the care and support we provide to patients fighting cancer,” Mr Bradley added.

Bids and details are via the appeal’s online auction form, with proceeds going directly to the fund.