CHARITY CORNER
HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN ACROSS MERSEYSIDE TREATED TO A MEMORABLE DAY OUT
Hundreds of children across Merseyside have been treated to a memorable day out. Taxis, decorated in balloons and banners, were on the roads across the region ton Wednesday 26 July for the charity Liverpool Taxi Drivers Children in Care Outing Fund (LTDCICOF). Bernie Buxton, 79, set up the organisation in 1985 to run trips for some of the most vulnerable young people. It’s estimated that over the 39 years, Bernie and LTDCICOF have helped around
10,000 children since its
foundation. Each year, around 300 children in care are taken on an all- expenses trip and this year was no difference as a fleet of up to 50 taxis headed to Southport.
Bernie previously told Liverpool Echo: “We even have grown ups now that come back and tell us they remember days out. Some of them were only three years old when the events started but now they’re in their 30s and 40s and they still remember the days out from when they were kids. “We’ve made two trips to Disneyland Paris. One year we went by coach and then another year we flew from John Lennon airport with a group of 50 children and they were absolutely amazed.
OVER 100 VETERANS MEET IN WORTHING FOR THE TAXI CHARITY’S 75th ANNIVERSARY VISIT
On 4 July, over fifty volunteer black cab drivers took veterans to Worthing for the Taxi Charity’s 75th Anniversary Visit. In a tradition stretching back to 1948, veterans supported by the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, have been treated to a day at the coast for a fish and chip lunch. This year’s annual day trip to the coast began with the volunteer London cab drivers rendezvousing in the small village of South Holmwood for a refreshment stop and a wonderful buffet prepared by the residents. The London black cabs then drove in convoy to the esplanade in Worthing where the veterans were met by the Worthing and Adur Town Crier, Bob Smytherman, and escorted into the Pavilion Theatre. Veterans, cab drivers and invited guests were welcomed by the Mayor of Worthing Cllr. Jon Roser
78
and then enjoyed fish and chips followed by ice cream. After lunch, 102 year old Flt Lt (Retd) Colin Bell DFC who served in WWII as a Mosquito Bomber Pilot and completed over 50 missions shared stories from his life. After speeches from Taxi Charity Chairman and London cab driver, Brian Heffernan, and the Taxi Charity Patron, Vice-Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, KCB, CBE, KStJ, DL, guests were entertained by a band who had learnt some WWII songs.
Brian Heffernan, said: “As well as veterans from WWII, we were joined by younger veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Falklands who are also eligible for our support. “This day is a very popular event and it couldn’t happen with- out the generosity of the London cab drivers who give up a day’s pay to volunteer their time to pick up veterans from London and the Home Counties. “This is a very important year for the charity as we celebrate our 75th anniversary, but we do have concerns that with the country still feeling the effects of Covid and the cost of living crisis, donations and grants are at significantly lower levels and we are devastated that there is a real chance we may have to cancel some of our future trips.” To donate to the Taxi Charity visit,
www.taxicharity.org
AUGUST 2023 PHTM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
