# Depaul UK auctions place in iPhone 6 queue in London

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/09/21/depaul-uk-auctions-place-iphone-6-queue-london/
- Published: 2014-09-21T10:01:02+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Homeless charity Depaul UK made the most out of people’s desire to buy the latest
iPhone by bagging a place in the queue and then offering it to the highest bidder.

The iPhone 6 went on sale in the UK on Friday 17 September, and there was already
a queue the day before outside Apple’s Regent Street shop. Depaul UK staff managed
to bag and hold the fifth place in the queue.

They then [auctioned it via eBay](http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DEPAUL-UK-SPOT-4-SALE-/261596732608).
The offer stated: “This auction is for the physical space outside the Apple Store
and a Depaul UK t-shirt, not the iPhone 6”.

## Advertisement

## Sleeping on the street

The contrast between people willing to sleep out on the street to buy the latest
gadget and those who had no choice but to sleep rough had been noted the previous
year by the charity when queues formed overnight to be the first to own the iPhone
5 and 5S.

Joe Howes, Director of Fundraising and Development at Depaul told The Independent
that they were making a fundraising opportunity out of this contrast, given that“
there are hundreds of young people that sleep out every single night”.

The **auction raised £570**, and Depaul UK included a t-shirt when handing over 
the space to the buyer.

## Charity begins at phone

Depaul’s PR agency Publicis shared details of the campaign from its launch to national
media coverage.

 

> [#DepaulUK](https://twitter.com/hashtag/DepaulUK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> are sleeping rough to queue for the [#iphone6](https://twitter.com/hashtag/iphone6?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw).
> You can bid for their place in the queue at [http://t.co/baeBB0Q7Mn](http://t.co/baeBB0Q7Mn)…(
> cont.)
> — Publicis London (@PublicisLondon) [September 18, 2014](https://twitter.com/PublicisLondon/status/512618813637275650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 

> (cont.) …all money raised will go to help those forced to sleep on the streets
> [@DepaulUK](https://twitter.com/DepaulUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)– [http://t.co/baeBB0Q7Mn](http://t.co/baeBB0Q7Mn)
> [pic.twitter.com/YsMS58ukaZ](http://t.co/YsMS58ukaZ)
> — Publicis London (@PublicisLondon) [September 18, 2014](https://twitter.com/PublicisLondon/status/512620952228999169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 

> We have a winner! The closing bid for our spot in the queue for the [#iPhone6](https://twitter.com/hashtag/iPhone6?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> was £570! Thx 4 ur support Tweeters!
> — Depaul UK (@DepaulUK) [September 19, 2014](https://twitter.com/DepaulUK/status/512877048902475776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 

> Check out [@DepaulUK](https://twitter.com/DepaulUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) in [@TheSunNewspaper](https://twitter.com/thesunnewspaper?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> today! [#CharityBeginsAtPhone](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharityBeginsAtPhone?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [pic.twitter.com/okcMjBviUJ](http://t.co/okcMjBviUJ)
> — Publicis London (@PublicisLondon) [September 19, 2014](https://twitter.com/PublicisLondon/status/512914935316508672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 

Depaul UK has a good track record of novel approaches to fundraising, including 
the [iHobo app](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/2010/06/29/ihobo-depaul-trust039s-iphone-app/)
and the [Depaul Box Company](http://depaulbox.co.uk/) which provides cardboard boxes
for people moving house: