A road sweeper who was blocked from accepting the £3,000 his community raised to send him on holiday is now on a free trip abroad after “winning” a competition.
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.
The community raised just over £3,000, but Mr Spiers’s employer Veolia forbade him from accepting the funds, saying it would have been in breach of its contract with Bromley Council.
Online travel agents On the Beach swooped in last week to boost Mr Spiers’s holiday hopes with its “totally non-specific £3,000-holiday competition to Portugal,” which 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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Mr Spiers accepted his win and jetted off from Gatwick Airport on the weekend and landed in Faro, Portugal, before being given an airport transfer to the hotel he selected.
It’s the same hotel where Paul stayed on his first-ever holiday for his 60th birthday and he will now enjoy a week’s stay at the beachside holiday hot spot alongside his brother David, according to On the Beach.
“It’s been an incredible week and I am so thankful for the support of the local community, my friends, family and On the Beach,” Mr Spiers said.
“Me and my brother David are sat in the sunshine, relaxing and enjoying our holiday already,” Mr Spiers added.
The travel agents say the brothers had free lounge access at the airport and an all-inclusive package.
Ms Knight, who started the GoFundMe page, said: “I’m overjoyed that Paul is finally on a beach enjoying his dream holiday. When I started the fundraising this is all I wanted to happen.
“So to know he is in the sunshine enjoying some well-deserved relaxation makes me and I’m sure the rest of the UK incredibly happy. I want to say a huge thank you to the local community in Beckenham who have been so generous and have supported this cause right from the very start – it is a true testament to what a special place it is.”
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A Veolia spokesperson previously told Sky News the company had “no objection” to Mr Spiers “winning” the competition, adding: “We are delighted that Paul can travel to Portugal for a well-deserved holiday thanks to his competition 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,” they said.
“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.”
