Worcestershire Lifestyles had their AGM on the 24th September; the event was very well attended by lots of people who have benefited from the work of this charity. Not only do they recycle old computers, some to use again and others reduced to their component parts, but the group also provides training and schooling in a number of skills and participants are able to gain recognised qualifications. The members have mental or physical handicaps – some quite serious – but Lifestyles gives them a sense of purpose and value, as well as restoring the disciplines common to a working life. Like other charitable organisations in Worcester, they do a great job – which is sometimes undervalued and unrecognised.

The big event of the week was the “Jail ‘n Bail” fund raiser on Saturday 26^th September.

This involved participants being mock ‘arrested’ for a fun ‘crime’, handcuffed by West Mercia Police, fingerprinted and placed in a jail cell outside the Guildhall for a few hours!  This was an unusual and theatrical experience, with a dramatic walk through the city in convict costume, ball and chain.  A judge reminded passersby of their ‘heinous’ crimes and the Worcester Severn were to be released when their collective bail money had been raised!  Bail was set at £500 per prisoner, with an overall goal of raising £4,000.

The following characters were charged:

The Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Roger Knight –

Crime: ‘pawning the Mayoral Chain for an ice cream’

Ben Humphry from Worcester Rep – Impersonation of a pantomime dame

Anja Potze Fine Jewellery Ltd – trying to out ‘BLING’ the Mayor

Thomas Evans from Thursfields – Handling salmon in suspicious circumstances

Richard Shelton from Shelton & Lines – Trying to sell a Lego house

Katie Love – too much tapping

Vance Parsons of DH Recruitment  – ‘murdering karaoke songs’

 

It was an incredibly successful event, raising in excess of £4,700 for the three charities Sight Concern, Acorns Children’s Hospice and Daisychain Benevolent Fund, which will share the monies raised equally.

My thanks also goes out to all those that made this day possible including all the street collectors, Rob Leetham, who made a great compere; Ray Needham, the savage Judge Dredd; P.Cs. James Potter and Ian Ruff and PC Peeler the Police Dog Mascot – not forgetting my P.A. Gill Preece who was brilliant, and is always so solidly behind all these events.

he star of the show was Fiona Blake of Sight Concern. Thank you Fiona, you were great – and apologies to everyone for disrupting their Saturday shopping experience!