Fortnum & Mason fundraises for hospital with creative tea cozies

British department store Fortnum & Mason is hosting a “heart-warming” auction of tea cozies to raise money for a local cardiothoracic center.

The retailer asked people to get creative with handmade cozies, and received 80 entries from around the world, including designs from the likes of Manolo Blahnik and Stephen Jones. Thirty-eight of the teapot toppers are up for auction through July 6, with proceeds benefiting London’s Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.

Cozies for a cause
Fortnum’s auction is the result of a challenge presented to commemorate its sponsorship of the Flower and Fodder stage at the upcoming Port Elliot festival. This is the second year that Fortnum & Mason is participating in the outdoor event (see story).

The tea cozy auction is being held online, allowing an international audience to bid. The designs, which all fit a four-cup teapot, range from owls and elephants to roses and strawberries.

To bid, consumers can send a text with the number of the lot they would like.

Items up for bid

Brands in other sectors have asked artists to lend their creativity in support of charitable causes.

For instance, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is gathering work from 12 top artists to be featured alongside small replicas of the brand’s Ghost model for a exhibit and auction.

The proceeds of the auction will benefit the Breast Cancer Care, and the general atmosphere of the display may lead to outside donations. The brand’s attempt to bring in numerous parties to collaborate means that a larger radius of people will be affected (see story).