Turning Unsold Items Into Meaningful Support...
20th June 2025
At Lawrences, we believe that even the smallest actions can have a meaningful impact and that includes what we do with unsold auction items. If in the unlikely events that a lot doesn’t sell, the vendor is welcome to take it back. But often, people are simply looking to clear space, and they choose to leave the item with us.
Rather than letting those items go to waste, we give them a second life by selling them elsewhere, and the proceeds go into a special charity fund. Each time the total donation reaches a good sum, a member of our team selects a charity close to their heart to receive a donation from this fund.
This initiative has allowed us to support a wide range of causes, turning unsold pieces into real, tangible good. Last month, we were especially proud to donate £300 to TOFS (Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula Support), which is a small but powerful UK charity that supports individuals born with rare congenital conditions affecting the oesophagus and windpipe.
The charity was chosen by our colleague Andy, who has a personal connection to its work. Andy generously offered to share his family’s story with us, to help others understand just how much of a difference this kind of support can make.
“The TOFS charity means a lot to me and my family because our youngest son, Theodore, is a TOF himself,” Andy shared.
“To put it simply, this means he was born without a connected-up oesophagus. Instead, his oesophagus was connected to his windpipe and required surgery at just one day old to correct it. We’re very lucky that the surgery was successful and done so early, but like most TOFs, Theodore will now live with a condition that affects how he eats for the rest of his life.”
For TOFs, eating and swallowing aren’t the automatic processes many of us take for granted.
“They have to think carefully about every bite,” Andy explained. “Food must be cut into small pieces, water has to be taken with every mouthful, and there’s always the risk of what’s called a ‘stickie’ when food gets stuck in the oesophagus. It’s incredibly uncomfortable, sometimes dangerous, and stressful both for the child and for their caregivers.”
Theodore is growing and adapting, like many TOFs do, but it’s a lifelong condition and the support that TOFS offers to families like Andy’s is invaluable.
“The charity provides an incredible amount of help from weaning guidance and medical resources to a supportive community for both TOFS and their caregivers. The number of resources available is staggering.”
Knowing how much this charity has helped Andy and his family made last month’s donation particularly meaningful for everyone at Lawrences.
“It means a huge amount to me that Lawrences has been able to support a cause so close to my heart,” Andy said. “The team has always been so supportive throughout our journey with Theodore, and now, to see a donation go to TOFS as part of that continued support is incredible. Thank you so much to everyone involved.”
We’re proud to support TOFS and grateful to Andy for allowing us to share his story. It’s a powerful reminder that behind every donation, there’s a very real impact and that sometimes, even an unsold item can lead to something truly meaningful.
To learn more about TOFS and the work they do, visit tofs.org.uk
