The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show saw a great charity fundraising idea in 2013. In a collaboration between the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society and Country Living Magazine a team of willing celebrities were each encouraged to decorate a Chicken Hut to be auctioned online for their selected charities..
We bring you an update on our blog Keeping Chicken In Style to show you the money that was raised in the time-honoured tradition of a countdown to the most popular.
It was great that they raised money for the RHS Campaign for School Gardening which promotes and funds school gardens, and the Addington Fund which supports British farming. Well done to all who took part, and to the lucky winning bidders!
Celebrity Chicken House Charity Chart Countdown
6. Nikki Tibbles
Wild at Heart Florist, Nikki Tibbles’, design really blossomed. Which chicken wouldn’t want to make her nest in this floral bower? It captured bids of £237.55 for charity.
The Nikki Tibbles’ Floral Hen House raised £237.55 on the eBay charity auction
5. Kate Humble
UK television presenter Kate Humble specialises in wildlife and science programmes. Her design was constructed rather than decorated and the finished article gives a habitat for hens and insects. It raised £265.00 in the charity auction on eBay.
Kate Humble’s Chicken Chalet raised a charitable £265.00 on eBay
4. David Domoney
English gardener and broadcaster David Domoney is (in)famous for feeding his plants on unconventional foods like bananas, eggs, and beer. The chicken coop with this egg-straordinary design raised a cool £274.00 for charity. Although painting all those cracked eggs on the hut might have lead to a certain amount of anxiety among the chicken population!
The David Domoney Hen House raised £274.00 on eBay for charity
3. Philippa Forrester
UK TV and radio presenter, producer and author Philippa Forrester kept her chicken hut design neutral and calm, painting her hut in coffee and cream, to encourage lots of egg laying. The lucky bidder won the hut for £320.00.
Philippa Forrester’s Hen House raised £320.00 for charity on eBay
2. Deborah Meaden
We all know Deborah Meaden as a Dragon from Dragons Den. (Who knew that dragons liked chickens, I thought they liked maidens, but maybe that is only male Dragons?) Her Gothic design raised a respectable £435 and the chickens were heard to mutter ‘I’m In’ as they took up residence.
Deborah Meaden’s Chicken House raised £435 on eBay
1. Sophie Conran
The English interior designer, Sophie Conran painted this chic, cool design on her hen house which raised £515.00. Decorating her hut with a Scandinavian flavour really paid off, it proved to be eggs-actly what the public wanted, and it raised the most amount of money for the charity auction.
Sophie Conran’s Celebrity Hen House raised £515.00 for the charities on eBayHen House Suppliers
These handcrafted chicken houses were donated to the charity, but you can buy one undecorated online, so you can then let rip with your own creative design. See these chicken huts and more chicken coop designs on their website – Flyte so Fancy.
Whether you buy or build your own hen house, and you want to paint your own design, why not get yourself a DIY Doctor Bargain Bucket Decorating Tool Kit which has everything you need to get painting.
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