Street cleaner denied holiday by employers finally gets dream trip after ‘winning competition’ to jet off to Portugal
A street cleaner who was denied a holiday by his employer which had been fundraised by his neighbours has won a ‘competition’ for a free trip to Portugal.
Paul Spiers, 63, from Beckenham in south London, had been told by bosses at his employers Veolia that he couldn’t have the locally-raised £3,195 due to rules around pay structures.
Though Veolia had later agreed with Spiers to match the four-figure fundraiser and donate £3,000 to a charity of his choice, the street cleaner has found himself in luck once again.
Just hours after the news emerged that the 63-year-old wouldn’t be able to receive the cash, Spiers has landed himself a trip abroad thanks to a sneakily-arranged competition launched by package holiday firm On the Beach.
On the Beach said the terms and conditions for the competition were “extremely specific”.
The firm, known for its cheeky PR stunts, specified that in order to win, entrants must love Elvis, be between the ages of 62 and 64, have the surname Spiers, be a street cleaner in Beckenham and be “loved by your local community”.
Fortunately for Paul, the cut-price holiday company said, there was only one person who fit the bill in the UK’s near-70 million-strong population.
Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach, said: “Congratulations Paul! Who would have thought that just a day after he was denied a holiday, he would win one in a competition! What are the odds?
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“We’re all for the fundraised money going to charity, but everyone deserves a holiday – it’s one of those moments that we dream of all year round. We know how much Paul dreamed of going to Portugal again and so for him to win the competition is fantastic.”
The competition win means Spiers – who has been keeping Beckenham’s streets clean since 2017 – has secured a £3,000 On the Beach holiday voucher.
The 63-year-old’s friend Lisa Knight, who befriended him after realising they shared a love of Elvis Presley, lauded Spiers for “lifting everyone’s spirits” with his “positive presence”.
Knight had written on an online crowd-funding site: “As an integral part of our Beckenham village, Paul is adored by all. Giving him this incredible gift would be a heartfelt way to show our appreciation for everything he does.
“Let’s come together to make this dream happen for someone who truly deserves it.”
A Veolia spokesperson had said after the initial outcry: “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. 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.
“Our contract with Bromley Council does not permit our staff to accept any monies or incentives outside of agreed pay structures.
“We have agreed with Paul that we will match the amount raised as of Friday 9th August to be donated to a charity of his choice.
“Veolia has a number of recognition schemes across the UK that reward our colleagues for exceptional services to the community and Paul will be the recipient of Bromley’s Employee of the Quarter – an internal financial reward to recognise his hard work and dedication.”