Everyone in Littleport has heard of YPL. If you are a newcomer to the village it wouldn’t be long before you too recognise the initials YPL. It stands for Young People Littleport and is the brainchild of local man Phil Malkin.
He could see the need for an organisation that could assist Littleport’s younger population to have something to do with their time that is beneficial.
Back in 2007 Phil approached Voluntary and Community Action for East Cambridgeshire, VCEAC with his idea and requested their help to make his ideas a reality.
He was guided by them on governance issues, like creating a constitution, all financial matters including assistance with managing his accounts as well as training in safeguarding children, health and safety and safeguarding adults too.
He fulfilled all that was required of him to learn, established the activities in Granby Street and then the arena premises where he holds those amazing auctions and events. And the only time he hiccupped was over the petty cash receipts for outsourcing odd ingredients that the kitchen in the arena had under-ordered like bread and milk etc., at busier than usual times! There weren’t any receipts put in the till they ended up in the bin. And that of course meant the auditors were not happy bunnies and sent the accounts back for clarification and so back and forth they went making the accounts late in. But all is well now, and that somewhat indigestible problem solved!
The kitchen is under the expert supervision of the delightful Dee of Dee’s Delights retro emporium upstairs at the ‘Trading Post’ sales area.
Assisted by Jackie you can avail yourself of the home-cooked menu from sandwiches to full English all-day breakfasts! And you can bid from your café table if the auction is in progress!
As for the auction itself, Auctioneer Phil is a barrel of laughs – he could have made a career in comedy! “What am I bid for these Marini glasses?” he hollers over the microphone? “Oops, no! Martini glasses!” Or to his trusty auction floor assistants, “they’re upside down!” About displayed abstract works of art. Of the muscle toning vibrator in the cardboard box as he instructed them to take it out saying “give us a show of how it works because I am not too sure about this one! I will have to word this differently I think! What am I bid?” Then above the general laughter, with no bids from the floor, “Thank goodness someone has put a bid in on the book!”
The auction is a serious business of course and the 20% YPL receives from each sale helps keep its various activities going.
The Indoor Arena, Henry Crabb Road, CB6 1SE Wednesday evening – this starts at 5.30pm.
Saturday morning this starts at 11am.
01353 861391 and Facebook: YPL Auctions where you can place your bid on the pictured items.