Funds raised from the sale of a life-sized Dalek model have been donated to Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support, after the item was put up for auction by specialist property and asset consultancy, ES Group. The sale of the model was undertaken as part of a disposal of the assets of Woodberry Bros and Haines, a family run Somerset furniture business which went into administration over the summer.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was appointed as administrators of Woodberry in July, but was unable to find a buyer for the business. In order to recoup funds for the company’s creditors, ES Group was instructed to sell the remaining stock, machinery and production lines.
The Dalek, modelled on the fictional cyborgs made famous by the BBC’s Doctor Who series, was discovered by ES Group at Woodberry’s premises as part of preparations for the sale process. The model had been created by a former Woodberry employee, who used offcuts from the production line to build the Dalek. After discussions with the family of the model's builder it was agreed that funds from its sale would be donated to charity.
The model was auctioned as part of three separate sales conducted by ES Group - a sale of the company’s product stock, a private treaty sale and an online auction of the wider plant and equipment.
Woodberry had traded from Highbridge in Somerset since 1949, employing approximately 175 people from the area in the manufacture of domestic furniture, with brands including Caxton furniture, Bath cabinets and Woodberry bathrooms.
Simon Cornelius-Light, Divisional Director in ES Group’s Machinery & Business Assets team for the South West says: “Using our industry expertise and knowledge to strategically market Woodbury’s assets, we were able to target a significant pool of buyers, achieving an excellent sales total for our client. We often come across unusual lots as part of our work and the sale of a Dalek was certainly no exception. After facilitating the sale of the model, we were very pleased that proceeds raised from its sale went to two such worthy charities.”
