Fury after bosses block £3,000 gift for street cleaner fundraised by community to send him on holiday of a lifetime

12 August 2024, 14:41 | Updated: 12 August 2024, 15:49

A street cleaner whose community raised £3,000 for him to go on the holiday of a lifetime has been told by his employer that he cannot accept the gift due to the rules of his contract.

Paul Spiers, 63, has been cleaning the streets of Beckenham, south London, since 2017, as reported in The Times.

Mr Spiers last week mentioned to the manager of a local estate agent, Lisa Knight, that it was his birthday and had been saving for a holiday to Portugal.

Knight and Spiers had struck up a friendship through their mutual love of Elvis Presley.

Ms Knight then decided to start a fundraising campaign on Go Fund Me to pay for the trip.

However, complications in his contract to his employer has kickstarted a row over whether he can accept the gift.

'Adored by all'

The page says: "Paul has been our dedicated Beckenham road sweeper since 2017, bringing joy to local residents and keeping our streets immaculate.

"I first met Paul when he started working here and it has been wonderful to see what a beloved member of the community he has become.

"His habit of playing music from his speaker while meticulously cleaning our streets lifts everyone's spirits with his positive presence.

"Paul will turn 63 on Tuesday the 6th of August. Despite his hard work and dedication, he has only travelled abroad once—to Portugal. Paul dreams of visiting again, and I would love to help make this dream a reality for him.

"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."

'Deeply disappointed'

However, Veolia, the global waste management company which employs Spiers as street cleaner, have stated he cannot access the money.

An update on the fundraising page said: "Unfortunately, we have received news that Paul is unable to accept the donations due to restrictions set by his employer, Veolia, in accordance with their contract with Bromley Council.

"These rules prohibit 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.

"We have expressed our disappointment to both the council and Veolia and intend to continue to push on this, but please be rest assured, if we are unsuccessful in doing so you will all be refunded.

"Once again, thank you for your incredible support and for being part of this fundraiser."

'Disappointing'

The stance from Veolia has sparked fury and disappointment from members of the Beckenham Appreciation Facebook group who left outraged comments.

One resident said: “Gift it to him, you purchase it and add his name. The world has bloody gone mad!!!”

Another said: "I think this is disappointing that a well deserved employee that has been acknowledge by the public. I’m sure there must be a work around somehow."

Another said: "What do we want? Portugal for Paul. When do we want it? NOW."

Knight described Spiers as "the sweetest man" who had been “blown away by how kind people are”.

She added: “When I told him about the first £200 he cried. When I told him about rest, he cried again."

A Veolia spokesperson said:"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.”