AN Egremont artist has raised £645 for protective equipment for West Cumberland Hospital and Copeland district nursing teams by auctioning off four of her artworks.

Emma Hunt auctioned the pastel pieces on Facebook.

Whitehaven Harbour Sunset was won by Mick Pearce, from Egremont, for £135.

Starry Buttermere was sold to Katy Thorpe, of Chertsey, Surrey, for £100.

Misty Bassenthwaite went to Lorraine Mary Alfaro, from Cleator Moor for £160 and St Bees Sunset received a charitable donation of £120 from Emma’s dad, Dave Lace, from Thornhill, who passed the artwork on to the next bidder, Robert Merrit, from Beckermet, who bid £130.

Emma said: “The auction was quite a success.

“We raised £645 for the PPE fund!

“I’m so happy to be able to contribute and do my bit. I felt so helpless being in isolation when countless carers in our community take unimaginable sacrifices and risk.”

Emma is also doing live pastel classes on her Facebook page on Sundays.

She said her youngest artist to join her classes is aged just five years old.