Gavel comes down in aid of a charitable cause

Calling all indulgent types looking for alternative ways to spend time and money that don’t involve damage to body, mind or soul.

Graphic design group Thomas Matthews has come up with the admirable – if unoriginal – notion of a charity auction to raise funds for famine victims in Ethiopia. Thomas Heatherwick, Will Alsop, Alan Kitching, Michael Marriott and Howard Brown have all pledged items to go under the hammer.

So, where should you go to salve your conscience and pick up some nifty design clobber?

Look no further than Hackney Road on a Saturday night. The event takes place at the 291 Gallery, London E1 on 25 January from 7-10pm. For details, contact Sophie Thomas at info@thomasmatthews.com or phone 020 7403 4281.