Tractor auction raises £80,000 for children’s hospital

Cambridgeshire auction company Cheffins has raised more than £80,000 at its vintage tractor sale to support the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital.

Going up for auction on Saturday 18 October was a fully restored 1963 Fordson Super Dexta tractor, which sold for an impressive £40,280.

Cheffins pledged to match the price, as part of its 200th anniversary celebration, bringing the total donation to £80,560.

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The funds will directly support the creation of a new playroom for children receiving treatment at the hospital.

Exceeding expectation

The iconic Fordson Super Dexta was purchased by Cheffins in June 2024 from Lincolnshire and meticulously restored by Youngs Agricultural Services in Stretham, near Ely.

Initially estimated at £15,000-£20,000, the tractor’s sale far exceeded expectations.

It was bought by Nick Hedges, a 67-year-old farmer from Kent. 

Mr Hedges said:

“Addenbrooke’s (hospital) has treated a few members of our family, and we do have some connection with the hospital. The tractor is a real one off and it’s such a great cause that we really wanted to be a part of.”

He added that the tractor is an investment for his two-year-old tractor-mad grandson and the family.

“We also bought another vintage tractor at the sale, and I am now looking for a third one so all of my grandchildren will have one each,” he added.

Electric atmosphere

Oliver Godfrey, director and head of the Cheffins machinery division, said the atmosphere at Cheffins sale ground at Sutton, near Ely, was one of excitement.

“The Fordson Super Dexta has become something of a star in vintage tractor circles over the past year. There was an electric atmosphere as bidding took off, with at least 10 bidders competing both in person and over the telephone,” he said.

Thanking Mr Hedges for his support, he added: “Not only has he acquired an important piece of agricultural history, but his purchase will directly benefit children across the region through the new hospital.”

Paul White, director of communications at Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, said funds from the tractor sale and other efforts by Cheffins will create a playroom in the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital, bringing joy to patients and families.