The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa auction raises more than £4,500 for charities with help from BBC One Race Across The World winners Tom and Caroline Bridge

An auction at a village hotel raised more than £4,500 for three charities with help from the winners of a BBC One show.

The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa hosted a special event on September 18 and were joined by Tom and Caroline Bridge, who triumphed in the fifth series of Race Across the World in June.

The duo, who live in Hargrave, near Bury St Edmunds, shared stories about their time on the show while Tom hosted the charity auction.

A total of £4,545 was raised for St Nicholas Hospice Care, East Anglian Air Ambulance and Hospitality Action.

On the night, there was a champagne reception, a three course meal, and a live Q&A compéred by former national newspaper journalist Ellen Widdup.

Prizes at the auction included a rug from Tom’s business, Rugga Rural, a one-night stay including dinner, bed and breakfast at The Brudenell Hotel, Aldeburgh (one of The Swan at Lavenham’s sister hotels), a spa break at The Swan and more.

Abi O’Donovan, head of marketing for The Hotel Folk Group, who own The Swan at Lavenham, said: “The evening was an outstanding success.

“It was an absolute delight, from the champagne reception to the last bang of the auction hammer, and what’s more, we raised a substantial amount for charities that support the local area as well as the hospitality industry.

“Caroline and Tom also wowed our guests which included fans from our wonderful village, across the county and even one person from as far as Wales.

“They are both absolutely lovely people that I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the past few months.

“Their talk was applauded by all in The Gallery and provided a real insight into what it was like.”