Sporting business representatives spent the day ‘behind bars’ and helped raise more than £31,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
The game-for-a-laugh corporate convicts were taking part in EACH’s Jail or Bail fundraiser, which saw them swapping their plush offices for police cars and being detained for committing fun crimes.
This year’s wrongdoings included stealing colleagues’ food, wearing shorts all year round, taking an excessive number of selfies, spending too much time on the golf course, being notoriously bad with grammar, hoarding snacks and crimes against fashion.
The colleagues had to stay at one of EACH’s hospices – The Nook, near Norwich, The Treehouse, in Ipswich, and at Milton, near Cambridge – throughout the day and canvass support in order to raise £1,000 in bail money via their JustGiving pages.
They were allowed to use their laptops and phones, to appeal for financial help, and, when they reached that total, they were free to go.
EACH Corporate Fundraising Manager Caroline Allen said: “What an incredible day.
“We couldn’t be more delighted by the amount raised, and it was so fun and exciting watching the total rocket throughout the day.
“This money will make such an enormous difference, and it was fitting to surpass the £28,500-mark, as this is the amount we need to raise to pay for a day of care at EACH.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to our amazing convicts for being such great sports.
“They got in the spirit and were truly brilliant from the start. An event of this nature wouldn’t be possible without them giving their time and raiding their contacts books.
“We can’t thank them enough, as well as those who so generously donated, and the same goes for our friends from the police forces in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
“They were incredibly supportive and generous with their precious time, adding to the sense of drama and playing their part in helping raise as much as we did.”
The corporate convicts at Milton were Paul Leivers (PML), Andy Cocksedge (Munro), Inger Anson (HCR Hewitsons), Michael O’Hagan (MOH Consultancy), Hazel Andrews-Oxlade (Creative Content Company) and Matt Armstrong (EMS Lifts).
Ian Fulcher (iQ Workspace), Adrian Brooks and Amy Chick (both Chatsbrook Finance Limited) and Victor Ling (Norfolk Chamber of Commerce) spent the day behind bars at The Nook, while those under arrest at The Treehouse were James Roper (JWR Financials/St James Place), John Dugmore (Suffolk Chamber) and Mat Stewart (SunSkips/SunEnviro).
After arriving at the hospices, the convicts were arrested, handcuffed and read their rights by real police officers.
They then booked in for the day, fingerprints were taken, and they were asked to change into custody tracksuits.
EACH’s Jail or Bail day took place on Thursday (27th February), but the fundraising page is staying open until Tuesday. You can make a donation by heading here.
