Put together 220 highly collectable items of memorabilia and unique experiences featuring stars such as Ed Sheeran, Pink Floyd, Kylie Minogue, David Beckham and Usain Bolt, and you would have an auction to rival the best in the world.

That's just what has gone live today thanks to Ed Sheeran's parents and a charity founder from near Bury St Edmunds.

John and Imogen Sheeran wanted to create a lasting legacy to brighten the lives of children with disabilities and life-limiting conditions.

When Gina Long, GeeWizz charity founder from Fornham St Martin, met international musician Ed Sheeran’s parents last year, they found they had a shared vision.

John and Imogen were looking for a way to create a lasting legacy for children and young people in Suffolk from the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk exhibition they were organising.

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Gina, who has an MBE for her charity work, is the founder of GeeWizz which has helped hundreds of children and young adults facing disability and incurable illness to live more fulfilling lives.

Together they became the driving forces behind a massive fundraiser - the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk Legacy Auction.

The online sale has turned out to be the biggest such event that Gina, who has run numerous online charity auctions, has ever staged.

The auction - which you can access here - went live this morning and has a host of lots which will make you drool with envy.

There are well over 200 stunning lots include unique Ed Sheeran memorabilia like the handwritten lyrics to his 2017 smash hit Perfect, donated by Ed himself.

GeeWizz is hosting the auction and the charity, based near Bury, and is sharing the proceeds with Zest - a part of the St Elizabeth Hospice family that serves teenagers and young adults.

GeeWizz will use its share to build a desperately-needed playground at a school for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Zest, which looks after young people from a wide area of the county, is looking to employ crucial specialist nurses and develop outreach services.

“I met John and Imogen Sheeran at an invitation event run by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce event,” says Gina.

“John Dugmore, the Chamber CEO, was the reason I was there and he is key to this, because it was through him I met them.

“They were talking about what was going to become the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk exhibition created to coincide with the gigs Ed was doing in Ipswich at the end of his world tour.

“Not only did they want to host the exhibition which celebrated Ed’s early years and career, they wanted to create a lasting legacy from it for the young people of Suffolk.

“That’s really where I came into the equation. Having hosted several online charity auctions I proposed that we create an online auction that would do exactly what they wanted - raise finance for young children and adults in Suffolk.

“They loved the idea and we hoped we would get exceptional items and experiences donated from around the world.

“Little did we know that today we would be sitting here with 220 extraordinary lots for the Ed Sheeran: Made in Suffolk Legacy Auction.”

Bidding is now open and people have until November 8 to stake a claim to lots ranging from amazing experiences to unique and incredibly rare memorabilia from the worlds of entertainment and sport.

Many East Anglian businesses have sponsored the auction or offered their services free including the Tru-7 Group, whose managing director Guy Nicholls has pledged £100,000.

Others include landscape gardener Mia Witham from Walsham-le-Willows, who working with Pro-Scape has planned the playground, and TNG Interiors of Bildeston who have promised a tunnel children can ride through in wheelchairs

“We are building a very big redevelopment of the playground at the Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy in Ipswich for children with special needs and disabilities,” said Gina.

“Some of the highest dependency young people in the county attend the academy. It has no budget or any public grants available for this playground, which has been needed for over 10 years.”

Here is just a small sample of the items on offer.

- Frankie Dettori’s riding boots worn to historic victory in King George VI Stakes Ascot 2020, donated and signed by the jockey.

- Laurence Edwards ‘Loaded’ bronze maquette donated by the artist

- Mereway bespoke kitchen units worth £20,000 given by Bury Bathroom & Kitchen Centre with Mereway

- ICE Cook School, Bury St Edmunds: Seasonal private dining experience 7-8 courses for 10 guests with wine from April 2021

- Five course tasting menu and wine flight for 10 people created by Suffolk Chef of the Year 2020, Sam Sturman donated by the Brewers, Rattlesden, with wines from by Ed Keith of Hallgarten & Novum Wines.

- David Beckham vintage England shirt 2003-05 given and signed by the football legend

- Damien Hirst ‘Patience’ limited edition print donated and signed by the artist

- Two Gold Level tickets to the 2022 GRAMMY Awards and after-party as guests of president of GRAMMY Museum Michael Sticka

- The Lord of The Rings very rare and highly collectable memorabilia donated by director Peter Jackson.

- Four guest tickets to Latitude Festival 2021, to Reading or Leeds Festival 2021, and to Lollapalooza Berlin 2021

- An hour in the nets at Lords Cricket Ground for 10 people in 2021-22 donated by Shane Warne

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