A SILENT auction of pop and sporting memorabilia raised about £5,000 for Henley Youth Centre.

Volunteers from the centre and Be There Henley manned a stall with items for sale at last month’s Rewind Festival.

A drum kit belonging to Deep Purple star Ian Paice was sold for nearly £2,000, a pink guitar signed by Kim Wilde and other stars from last year’s festival raised £500 and a director’s chair signed by Midge Ure was sold for £250.

Other items included signed pictures of Sir Steve Redgrave and Glen Hoddle’s football shorts.

Clive Wilkinson, chairman of the centre’s trustees, said: “We had a lot of interest in our stall.

“It was great to have such a large amount of items donated and we would love to have the opportunity to do it again.”

The club’s £25,000-a-year grant from Oxfordshire County Council was withdrawn last year and Mr Wilkinson said: “It’s very, very hard as we need to raise the same amount every year and we are constantly fund-raising.” Rewind promoter David Heartfield, from Rotherfield Greys, said: “We always support a number of charities and we tend to veer towards local ones.

“The stars are always great if you catch them at the right moment and ask them to bring in a hat or lend their signature to a guitar or whatever.”

The auction money will go towards the centre’s running costs and to replace a pool table.

The centre is hoping to hold a junior youth club on Tuesday evenings and a Be There Henley youth night on Saturdays.

Published 08/09/12