A road sweeper whose community raised more than £3,000 to send him on holiday will get a free trip abroad after all, despite his employer preventing him from accepting the funds.
A GoFundMe page was set up for 63-year-old Paul Spiers, from Beckenham in southeast London, by fellow resident Lisa Knight, who said she met him when he first became a sweeper in 2017.
Estate agent Ms Knight set the page up on 30 July because Mr Spiers – who she said is “an integral part of our Beckenham village” and “adored by all” – told her he had only travelled abroad once, to Portugal, and dreamed of going again.
“Giving him this incredible gift would be a heartfelt way to show our appreciation for everything he does,” she wrote on the funding page.
The total raised sits at £3,315 – but Mr Spiers’ employer Veolia forbade him from accepting the funds, saying it would have been in breach of its contract with Bromley Council.
They informed him and Ms Knight that the rules prohibited staff from accepting any monetary gifts or incentives beyond their regular salary.
“We’re deeply disappointed that this decision prevents Paul from enjoying this well-deserved holiday as a recognition for all of his hard work for the Beckenham community,” Ms Knight said in an update on the funding page earlier this week.
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The decision outraged the local community, leading Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge Liam Conlon to contact both Veolia and Bromley Council on Monday and urge them to “use some common sense so Paul can enjoy the holiday he deserves”.
‘Totally non-specific’ competition changes outcome
On Tuesday morning, online travel agents On the Beach swooped in to boost Mr Spiers’ holiday hopes with its “totally non-specific £3,000 holiday competition to Portugal”.
The terms and conditions dictated the winner had to be aged between 62-64, have the surname Spiers, be a street cleaner in Beckenham and “be loved by the local community”.
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A Veolia spokesperson told Sky News the company has “no objection” to Mr Spiers “winning” the competition.
“We are truly grateful for the support and recognition shown by the community to Paul, who alongside a hardworking street cleansing team, does a fantastic job keeping Bromley’s streets clean,” they said.
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“We are always happy to hear from members of the public who want to recognise our teams. Unfortunately on this occasion, we were not made aware of the fundraising and were therefore unable to work together to find the most appropriate way to recognise Paul.
“We understand that Paul has won a competition and we can confirm that we have no objection to him accepting his win.
“Our position regarding the funds raised by the community has not changed and the decision about what happens to that money is a matter for the fundraiser.
“Veolia has matched the amount raised as of Friday 9th August and this will be donated to Cancer Research UK, a charity close to Paul’s heart.
“We are delighted that Paul can travel to Portugal for a well-deserved holiday thanks to his competition win.”
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In the last fundraising page update, Ms Knight told donors they would be refunded if Mr Spiers could not accept the funds. She has also disabled new donations.
Sky News contacted Bromley Council for comment.
