WORTING House serviced offices has pledged support to the Sitting with Jane project.

Sitting With Jane is one of the projects happening around the borough to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of world-renowned author Jane Austen.

Austen spent the first 25 years of her life in Steventon, near Basingstoke, and it is widely believed that she wrote the first draft of her famous novel Pride and Prejudice there.

A ‘Wild in Art’ event, being delivered by Destination Basingstoke and in association with Festival Place, Sitting With Jane is a public art trail featuring 24 specially-designed sponsored bookbenches which will be on display during the summer. Worting House and its clients have sponsored one of the benches, with a design created by artist Jane Callan.

The bookbenches will be auctioned off in the autumn, and 75 per cent of the proceeds will go to Ark Cancer Centre Charity.

Julie Kehoe-Smith, estate manager of Worting House serviced offices, said: “With such strong links to the Jane Austen story, Worting House Serviced Offices, and many of our clients are delighted to be playing a key role in Sitting With Jane project by sponsoring one of the bookbenches.”

The Worting House clients who are supporting the bookbench project are: Beacon LLP, Geoff Boutle, Frank Bailey Ltd, CellarDine Ltd, The IG Group Ltd, VAT Advisory Services Ltd, K3 Consulting & Training Svs Ltd, Medical Forum, Elysian IT Ltd, Healthworks, Abacus HR Ltd, Carbon Footprint Ltd, and The Prudent Marketeer Ltd.

Worting House director John Jervoise said: “The marvellous display bench by Jane Callan has already attracted a lot of interest and positive comments during its stay at Worting House, and people are already looking forward to seeing what our chosen artist has created when the bench is revealed in June.”