$30k boost for charities

SOLD: The student-built UCOL home, auctioned for charity on Saturday.

The sale of a student-built home has raised $30,000 for Wairarapa charities.

The three-bedroom house, built by Wairarapa UCOL pre-trade construction students under the supervision of their tutors, went to auction on Saturday at the UCOL campus in Masterton. It attracted a top bid of $150,000.

Of the $150,000, $15,000 will be donated to Martinborough Plunket, to be used either to help with the Wairarapa Plunket car rental scheme building or the Plunket clinic rooms and $15,000 to Life Light Trust.

The project was run in conjunction with the Upper Hutt-based Dugdale Charitable Trust and Masterton Mitre 10 Mega, which provides the building material.

Dugdale Charitable Trust trustee Chris Dugdale said she had been told each Life Flight trip costs $2500.

"Potentially this donation could save six lives.

"Any one of us could find ourselves in need of their help and so their service is invaluable," Mrs Dugdale said.

An extra $1500 was also raised at a pre-auction of items donated by Martinborough businesses, organised by Martinborough Plunket,

The money will go towards the ongoing costs of the Martinborough Plunket clinic rooms.

Mrs Dugdale said the whole process had been a "fantastic hands-on learning experience" for the students.

She said it was the fifth charity house build by the Dugdale Charitable Trust.