More than £3,000 has been raised in two days via an online photography auction in aid of Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team member Chris Lewis.
A group of 25 multi-award-winning landscape photographers from all over the UK have come together in support of volunteer Chris, who suffered life-changing injuries as the result of a fall while on a rescue mission on February 6.
The online auction was organised by Paula Mould and Jason Hudson.
Each photographer agreed to auction an image from their prestigious portfolio, with the aim of raising a substantial amount of money to help support Chris, who will now need support and care for the rest of his life.
Paula, an amateur photographer, said: “The idea for the auction came about after I, like many others, was moved and saddened by the plight of this heroic volunteer.
“I identified an opportunity to raise funds, set about enlisting the support of the photographic community and very much hope that we can help by raising both awareness and funds.”
One of the photographers to donate an image, Mark Littlejohn, is a winner of the Landscape Photographer of the Year and he has supported Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team in the past.
He said: “Chris’s story is really saddening and many of us have been very moved by it.
“As part of the landscape photography community, many of us spend extensive amounts of time in the hills in adverse weather conditions.
“We see the amount of time and effort volunteers from the mountain rescue teams put in to protect and save members of the public.
“We are all devastated to hear about the injuries that Chris has sustained and are eager to do something to support him and his family.”
The auction went live on auction site Jumblebee on Saturday and will last for four weeks, ending at 9pm on Tuesday April 13.
Among the photographs up for auction are images which have won acclaimed awards, and photographers that have won some of the UKs premier photography competitions as well as being among the most popular and successful photographers on Youtube.
These include:
- Landscape Photographer of the Year- Mark Littlejohn
- World Landscape Photography Competition winner – Neil Burnell
- Fotospeed Photographers of the Year – Alan Leightley, Amy Bateman and Neil Burnell
- Wex Photographers of the Year – James Ewer, Neil Burnell
- British Life Photographer of the Year – Amy Bateman
Other photographers have won categories and had images commended and highly commended in various prestigious competitions.
“The subject matter of the prints ranges from Lake District fells to iconic Scottish vistas and reaches as far as Iceland,” Paula added, “and the auction includes a mixture of A2 and A3 prints.”
To bid, visit https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/auctions/7cyPGdA4eK
