27/08/2013 - Charitable Prison Transport - all in a days work for Lucketts Travel
Raising much needed funds for the Rainbow Centre in Fareham
It's not the usual way of raising cash for charity, and something of a departure for the South Coast's leading coach travel company. Arrest a number of leading company executives, imprison them and refuse freedom until they've raised bail payments from friends and colleagues.
Thankfully though, when all the business leaders were marched out of their offices and onto a Lucketts Travel coach they already knew that they were helping to raise much needed funds for the Rainbow Centre in Fareham. The charity supports children with Cerebral Palsy and adults with a stroke, MS or Parkinson's disease. By using ‘Conductive Education' staff at the Rainbow Centre are able to teach methods for having an active and happy life.
Festooned with wanted posters, the Lucketts coach took off duty uniformed police officers to make ‘arrests' at companies around Portsmouth and Fareham. Amongst those taken into temporary custody were representatives from Barclays Bank, Syn Star, Palmer and Harvey, Hughes Ellard and Eaton Aerospace.
The prisoners were taken to the fort that is home to Royal Armories high on Portsdown Hill above Portsmouth where they were ‘locked up'. Thankfully mobile phones weren't confiscated, so calls to raise bail could be made on the journey to jail. Ordinarily, of course, real prisoners don't get a modern luxury coach for a trip to the clink; all involved were grateful that Lucketts had stepped in to help for the day.
James Mudie from the Rainbow Centre said "The donation of a coach and driver for the day really helped the event to be a success. Lucketts kindness meant we didn't have to spend any of the money raised on a suitable vehicle, although some of the staff of the prisoners companies felt their bosses didn't deserve such luxury!"
Paul Barringer, Group Sales and Marketing Director at Lucketts Travel said" We were delighted to get involved with a fun and innovative fundraising event for such an important charity. It's impossible not to be touched by the amazing work at the Rainbow Centre which is just a short distance from our own HQ. All the staff at Lucketts is pleased to have played a small part in helping to make a big difference to the lives of children, adults and their families who are offered support there."
In total the prisoners raised £3,600 for the Rainbow Centre, money that will be put towards the annual half a million pounds a year running costs.
Lucketts Travel is a South-Coast success story, operating a fleet of 100 luxury coaches from its Fareham base. The company is family run, with a proud 86-year history of personal service and excellent value travel.