Few fundraising initiatives have been as unique as the auction of the signed doors from the original Doghouse suite at Silverstone.
For many years, these doors marked the entrance to a place that became central to the life of the Doghouse Owners’ Club. As members, drivers and motorsport personalities passed through the suite, many left their signatures behind, gradually transforming the doors into a remarkable record of the Club’s history and its connections within the motorsport world.
By the time of the Club’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, the doors had become both a symbol of the Doghouse and a tangible link to its past. Rather than simply preserving them, the Club chose to put them to work for a good cause, auctioning them during the Club’s Bling in the Wing celebration held in the Silverstone Wing on 6 October 2012.
The evening was a fitting celebration of the Doghouse spirit, bringing together many longstanding members and friends of the Club, including Patty McLaren Brickett, Lady Helen Stewart, Club President Shirley Procter and former Chairman Annie Carrington Yates. Guests enjoyed an evening of entertainment, including The Singing Waiters, fan and belly dancers, a burlesque performance, an auction and prize draw, before dancing the night away to the band Phoenix.
During its 50th Anniversary year, the Doghouse Owners’ Club supported four charities: Action Medical Research, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Headway, and the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.
The auction of the signed doors formed part of a wider fundraising programme that reflected the generosity and community spirit at the heart of the Club.
While the doors occupy a special place in Doghouse history, their role in helping raise funds for worthwhile causes remains an equally important part of their story.