Peterborough tattooists draw in crowd and raise thousands of pounds for local hospice

August 15, 2022

Talented tattooists from new to the city studio, Flagship Tattoo, used their creative skills to raise an incredible £3,040 for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in July.

The team of tattooists, which included owners Jordan Butler and Alex Balding, plus Ben Abrahams, Oli Atkins and Gareth Watson supported by Luke Porter all gave up their time and money on Saturday 2 July to offer local tattoo fans unique inks and artwork, in a bid to raise money for the hospice which provides expert care to people living with life-limiting conditions.

Customers were queuing for two hours before the shop, located on Park Road in Peterborough, opened its doors at 10.00am. The team continued to be so busy throughout the day that although they planned to shut up shop at the usual time of 6.00pm, they continued to work late into the evening, to make sure no one missed out and that they raised as much money as possible.

Eager punters were given a raffle ticket and called one by one to sit in the chair. There were a wide range of designs to choose from and people could choose to be tattooed anywhere on their arms or legs. There was also the opportunity to bid on two original paintings designed by shop tattooist, Oli, and limited edition t-shirts, featuring artwork produced by Oli and Ben specifically for the charity day, were available to purchase.

Alex Balding speaks about why they wanted to support Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice: “A number of the team have a personal connection to the hospice and our friends’ wife was also cared for there in the last couple of years.

“It’s particularly special to me as my wife and I got married at the hospice with all the money from the day going directly to the charity. It means so much to so many people and they do such fantastic work,” he said.

“The charity day was hectic, but great. Everyone was in good spirits and just wanted to support us. Some of our regular customers, who couldn’t stay for a tattoo that day just popped in to make a donation, because they too knew people who have been cared for at the hospice.

“We had no idea we would raise the amount of money we did; it was just incredible! Thank you to everyone,” Alex added.

Asif Shaheed, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, commented: “I can’t thank the team at Flagship Tattoo enough for their efforts on their Sue Ryder fundraising day. I popped into the studio on the day and there was a real buzz about the place – and not just from the tattoo guns! Jordan showed me a photo of the queue beforehand and it’s amazing how the people of Peterborough got behind the initiative. They really did go the extra mile to maximise the amount raised for Sue Ryder, which is truly humbling.”

If the Flagship Tattoo’s fundraiser has inspired you to take on a charity event of your own, contact the fundraising team on 01733 225 999 or email thorpe.fundraising@sueryder.orgfor support and inspiration.