Reading about hungry children made me put VIP Longleat trip up for auction, says Viscountess

Moved: Emma McQuiston, Viscountess of Weymouth
Dave Benett
Ed Cumming28 February 2018

One of the star prizes of the third and final auction for the Standard’s Help A Hungry Child appeal is an action-packed two-day VIP stay at Longleat safari park.

It has been donated by Emma Thynn, Viscountess Weymouth, who runs the estate with her husband, Ceawlin, Viscount Weymouth. She says she was moved to get involved after reading the Standard’s reports on the number of children in London who routinely go to bed hungry. “I was shocked to hear the statistics about how many children aren’t getting enough to eat,” says Emma, who has two young children.

“It’s such a moving cause, and vital in terms of the shocking amount of food that goes wasted. It’s important for children to understand how important their diet is. What you eat impacts on how you feel, as well as staying fit and strong, so it’s great to get that into your children’s consciousness as early as possible. It’s not to say they shouldn’t have an ice cream now and again, but they should learn to enjoy fruit and veg.”

Other prizes in the auction include a feast for 30 cooked by Jason Atherton, a trip to a five-star hotel in the Maldives, and a four-night stay for 16 people at an Italian castle owned by Evening Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev. The auction closes tonight at 9pm.

Since being launched in the autumn, the appeal has raised more than £1 million for The Felix Project. The charity’s vans collect surplus fresh food from retailers and deliver it to frontline charities, who use it to prepare meals for those in need. For the appeal, they are setting up stalls in primary schools so children can collect surplus food to take home. Over the next two years they hope to expand the scheme to 120 schools in London.

On Sunday, runners will take part in the Big Half, a new half-marathon, on behalf of Team Felix, with Sir Mo Farah.

The Longleat prize is for a family of four, and includes a guided Land Rover tour to see the park’s wildlife, which includes lions, cheetahs, tigers and giraffes, a tour of Longleat house itself, an afternoon tea designed by Viscountess Weymouth, and a night including dinner at The Bath Arms, and day tickets to the house the following day.

“There’s a lot to do and see so we didn’t want people to feel that they had to rush back afterwards,” she says. “The Felix Project is a brilliant charity, and I’m glad to help.”

For more information go to givergy.com/charity/ the-felix-project

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