A CHARITY auction for the Hampshire Hogs took place last week in Festival Place as hogs were welcomed into their new homes.

All of the special hogs auctioned raised funds for a range of good causes from local to national.

More than £15,000 was raised from the sales of the hogs.

Bidders attended the auction in person, or joined in on-line with the auction, which was managed by Andrew Smith and Son.

Felicity Edwards from Destination Basingstoke who have organised the whole trail said a wonderful atmosphere surrounded the auction.

She said: “There was a wonderful atmosphere with potential buyers, sponsors and artists gathering to see this culmination of the Hampshire Hogs project.”

The project has been a big part of Basingstoke for the last few months.

She added: “The project has been such a feature of life in Basingstoke over the last few months.We are all so pleased that it has brought some colour and fun back to our town. What is especially gratifying is being able to give a very public platform for the incredible talent of our local artists.

“From the support from the many businesses and organisations that committed to funding it during the height of the pandemic.

“To the app developer, our haulage contractor and other suppliers and partners behind the scenes and especially to the commitment and hard work of the small team at Destination Basingstoke that pulled it all together despite of so many challenges.”

She hopes the hogs will leave a legacy of hope and creativity for Basingstoke.