Highest bid
3 jarsof 250g first-harvest honeyFirst-harvest charity auction
What can five jars of honey do?
One jar of this honey, taken along as a gift, raised £69 for charity in a single evening. That was one jar. We have kept five more aside to find out what they can do.
The three highest bids win the honey. Every pound from those winning bids goes to a local charity, and you can help choose which one. We cover the jars, packaging, postage and payment costs ourselves.
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Second
1 jarof 250g honeyThird
1 jarof 250g honeyWhy we are doing it
Making the original funding useful twice.
The National Lottery Community Fund helped pay for the hives, equipment and training that got the project started. The purpose was to develop practical skills and create something the allotment community could continue to learn from. The first honey harvest gives us a small opportunity to pass some of that value onwards.
Fundingcommunity grant
Trainingnew beekeeping skills
Hivesthree colonies
Pollinationallotment ecosystem
Honeyfirst harvest
Local causewinning bids donated
How the auction works
Three winners, kept simple.
This is an auction rather than a raffle or prize draw. The winners are determined entirely by the value of their bids, not by chance.
- Minimum bid: £7. Bids can include pence, so £69.01 is a valid bid.
- One active bid per email address. You can increase it at any point before the auction closes.
- The current highest bid is shown publicly. Bidder names are never published.
- The highest bidder receives three jars. Second and third receive one jar each, so a bid that does not lead can still win honey.
- A bid that reaches the top three in the final 30 seconds extends bidding by 3 minutes, so the auction cannot be won at the last second.
- If two bids are equal, the bid that first reached that amount ranks higher.
- Winning bidders will have 48 hours to make payment after being contacted.
- If a winning bid is not honoured, the next qualifying bidder may be offered the prize.
- UK delivery only. Packaging and postage are covered by the organiser.
Where the money goes
You help choose the charity.
We are looking for a small local charity where a few hundred pounds makes a visible difference, and where the connection to community, growing, skills or the environment is genuine. Rather than decide that alone, we are asking for suggestions while bidding runs.
We will read every suggestion, confirm the chosen charity is happy to be named, and announce the beneficiary on this page before any money changes hands.
Visit the beneficiary's website →
Transparency: after the auction we will publish the final amount received and evidence that the full value of the winning bids was passed on.
The honey
Batch 001.
The five auction jars are part of our first processed harvest. The honey was handled using food-safe equipment after members completed relevant food health and safety training. Each jar is 250g and carries our front and information labels.
Ainsdale Apiaries
Pure local honey from English allotments, using the project’s black-and-gold bee mark.
Batch 001 · 250g
Storage and food-safety information is applied to each jar before distribution.
Food safety: honey is not suitable for infants under 12 months. Store in a cool, dry place.
Questions and terms
The important bits.
Is this a raffle?
No. There is no random draw. The three highest valid bids win, with the prize split 3 jars, 1 jar and 1 jar.
What happens to the money?
The full amount paid by the three winning bidders will be passed to the named beneficiary. The organiser will cover the honey, packaging, postage and payment costs separately.
Can I change my bid?
You can increase your active bid before the closing time. Reductions are not accepted because a submitted bid is intended to be a genuine commitment.
What stops someone bidding at the last second?
If a bid reaches the top three during the final 30 seconds, the closing time moves back by three minutes. That repeats for as long as late bids keep arriving, so everyone has a chance to respond and the auction ends only when bidding genuinely stops. The countdown at the top of this page always shows the current closing time.
Can I bid in pence?
Yes. Bids are accepted in pounds and pence, so £69.01 beats £69.
How is the charity chosen?
Anyone can nominate a charity while bidding runs. We will read every suggestion and look for a small local organisation where a few hundred pounds makes a visible difference. The final decision rests with the organiser, the chosen charity has to agree to be named, and the beneficiary will be published on this page before any money is passed on.
What information do you store?
Name, email address, bid amount and technical anti-abuse information required to operate the auction. See the privacy page for more detail.
What if there is a technical problem?
We may pause, extend or cancel the auction if a technical or integrity issue means bids cannot be handled fairly. Any such change will be published on this page.