Young commoner Katie Ferrett auctions heifer to boost £20,000 Cancer Research fundraising campaign

A YOUNG commoner has auctioned one of her cows as part of her campaign to raise over £20,000 for Cancer Research UK in support of her uncle.

Katie Ferrett (31), who keeps ponies on the New Forest, was inspired to raise money for the charity after her uncle, Rob Ferrett, was diagnosed with the disease. He is currently receiving treatment.

In a bid to raise as much cash as possible, Katie decided to sell one of her Aberdeen Angus heifers at Frome Livestock Market and donate all the proceeds to the fundraiser.

The animal, named Hope, incredibly ended up being sold three times on the same day by generous traders to raise £5,200 toward the total.

Her dad Mark Ferrett, who is Rob’s brother, said: “I’m incredibly proud of Katie – she decided after her uncle Rob’s diagnosis that she wanted to raise as much as possible for Cancer Research.

“We set up a JustGiving page and shared her idea on Facebook and the response has just been incredible. We have received amazing support from the commoning community and especially a number of young commoners who have donated.”

Katie and Mark, who run a family farm near Lockerley in Romsey, took the heifer to Frome Livestock Market where they explained a little about their fundraising goal.

During the auction the cow was initially bought by market bosses for £2,200 before the creature was donated back to be sold again.

A second bidder bought the cow for £1,600 before it was handed back and finally sold a third time for £1,500.

After friends from the farming community heard about Katie’s fundraiser, others stepped forward to offer animals to auction including two donkeys donated by James Penney from Cadnam and another heifer from farmer Tom Comley from Winchester.

Three livestock embryos which were donated by Dave Coombes, of Cedar Farm vets in Ringwood, fetched £500.

Mark said: “My brother grew up in Lyndhurst and we are a well-known family in the local farming community.

"He was just a few months from retirement and now he is fighting this terrible illness.

"We wanted to do something, and the support we have received from farmers and commoners has been incredible.

"I’m so proud of Katie because this was all her idea – she decided she wanted to do something to support her uncle and now we have raised over £20,000 for Cancer Research."

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cowleaze-farm