Ebay teams up with celebrities for charity auction

Auction site Ebay has teamed up with 50 celebrities to hold an auction in aid of its charitable programme.

Ebay for Charity has raised £50 million (€58 million) since it was set up in 2006. The company has persuaded everyone from One Direction and Elton John to John McEnroe and Lionel Messi to donate items for its biggest sale to date.

The items range from a signed football shirt from the Barcelona player to the chance to train with Lawrence Dallaglio and some of the Lions.

The top fundraiser at the time of writing was an all-access VIP package for four people to see boy band JLS perform at their reunion tour, an item for which the bidding stood at £2,550.

A VIP package to see Irish band B*Witched perform in the Big Reunion Tour had attracted bids of up to £400 at the last count, with John McEnroe’s tennis racquet raising £255.

The money raised by each of the items will go to a nominated charity. Elton John's signed, custom-made leather boots will benefit Amnesty International, while a signed book and DVD from Frankie Boyle is being sold off to raise money for women's aid.

The auction will run for another five days, ending on September 1st.

“This is a real milestone for eBay for Charity,” spokeswoman Laura Wilkinson-Rea said. “Our programme supports over 7,800 charities and since its launch in 2006 it has enabled Ebay shoppers to bid on some truly unique items and experiences.”