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A wildlife sanctuary has been saved after receiving a boost from an auction of memorabilia relating to the legendary guitarist Jeff Beck.
The Folly Wildlife Rescue centre near Tunbridge Wells was threatened with closure but is now safe - at least for the time being.
Beck rose to fame as a member of the Yardbirds in the 1960s, replacing Eric Clapton in the band that also featured Jimmy Page.
Their hits included Evil Hearted You and Heart Full of Soul, although probably Beck’s best-recognised record, Hi Ho Silver Lining, was released by him as a solo artist in 1967.
Beck was born in Wallington, then in Surrey but now in the London Borough of Sutton, but in his later years lived in Wadhurst, East Sussex, just six miles away from the Folly Wildlife Rescue centre in Broadwater Forrest.
Beck became a patron and also introduced his good friend, the actor Johnny Depp, to Folly Wildlife, who also became a supporter and patron.
Beck died in 2023 at the age of 78 but his wife Sandra donated a white Stratocaster guitar from his estate to the charity to help its fundraising campaign.
The guitar had been used at a tribute concert to Jeff Beck at the Royal Albert Hall in 2023 and was signed by the performers who included Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood, Sir Rod Stewart, and Johnny Depp.
Three artworks by Andres Mariani and signed by Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp were donated by the artist and also sold at the auction on behalf of Folly Wildlife.
The items were part of a much wider sale of 128 lots of Beck memorabilia at the Christie’s auction house in London on Wednesday, January 22.
The four items for Folly Wildlife sold for a total of £126,000, and the charity will receive just over £100,000 after auction fees.
Hannah Hall is one of the daughters of the charity’s founders, Dave and Annette Risley, and she was at the auction.
She said: “All the items sold for far more than the guide price. It was very exciting as the bidding kept going up and up.”
Total proceeds from the auction topped £8.7m, including two guitars - a 1954 Oxblood Gibson Les Paul guitar and a white Fender - which each sold for more than £1 million.
The Folly Wildlife Rescue centre treats more than 3,500 animals every year.
It has cared for rescued injured, orphaned and distressed wild animals and birds for more than 30 years since it was established in 1993 by Mrs Hall’s father, Dave Risley, a former head keeper at London Zoo, and his wife Annette, initially in the garden of their home in Eridge.
Last year, the charity warned that it might have to close at the end of December unless there was an influx of cash.
The wildlife hospital, which has its own veterinary and X-ray unit, sits on a six-acre site. But it costs between £20,000 and £30,000 a month to operate.
Mrs Hall said: “It was a very scary time for us. But the response to our appeal has been fantastic.
“And although, of course, finance is always going to be an issue, we are comfortable at the moment.”
The appeal had raised £446,000 even before the recent auction.
Every year, thousands of wildlife casualties are treated by Folly Wildlife after being injured in accidents involving some form of human activity, such as entanglement in plastic netting, fencing or fishing line, road accidents, injury caused by garden machinery, poisoning, shooting or attack by domestic pets.
Folly Wildlife would still appreciate any donations from the public towards running costs. Money can be given via JustGiving.
It is not the first time the trust has received celebrity support.
In 2022, when Johnny Depp visited the hospital, the charity’s own Instagram page surged from under 6,000 followers to more than 26,000 within 12 hours.
It has also previously received support from Dave Davies of The Kinks and from the renowned wine critic and TV personality Jilly Goolden.
The wildlife rescue centre in Fairview Lane is now managed by Mrs Hall and her sister Liz Chandler with a largely volunteer workforce.
Jeff Beck is one of the few celebrities to have an asteroid named after them. Asteroid 38431 is named Jeffbeck.