…CHARITY CORNER
TAXI DRIVER TAKES MORAY PENSIONERS ON DAY TRIP TO REDUCE LONELINESS AMONG THE ELDERLY
A Moray taxi driver has taken eight pen- sioners on a day trip after becoming con- cerned about grow- ing loneliness within the region’s popula- tion. Former tradesman Garey Stewart, who now runs Elgin- based Guvnor Taxis, has watched as his father’s old col- leagues and friends have become more isolated. And so last month the Press and Jour- nal reports that he took his cab out of service for the day in order to take the group to sights
spread between the coast at Lossie- mouth and Burg- head and on to dis- tilleries on Speyside. The eight pension- ers, who had a combined age of 675, all retired after working as trades- men or in industries including whisky and utility compa- nies. In recent months, all have found it harder to get out and about to catch up with old friends and build links with new ones. Mr Stewart said: “I know a lot of people are just sitting about wanting to do some-
meeting new peo- ple.” Mr Stewart’s tour of the region culminat- ed in him playing the bagpipes under the Craigellachie Bridge while the group traded old stories over lunch next to the River Spey. Syd Watt,
Garey Stewart is running a tour for local retired tradesmen to help remember times gone by
thing. Loneliness is a pretty big issue for these guys as they get older. “I wanted to do
something to jog some memories among them and get them talking about old times and
him the extra from
Elgin, who celebrat- ed his 80th birthday on the tour, had struggled to leave his home for the last month due
to
increasing mobility problems. However, the pros- pect of an afternoon touring Moray’s countryside gave
strength needed to make it through the day. The former distillery worker said: “It’s just been brilliant and I’ve made a lot of new friends. I’m not always able to get out of the house now so to be out in the countryside and to be walking about is just absolutely fantastic.” Bob Walker, 82, from Elgin, added: “Get- ting out with the guys has just been perfect.
It’s been
brilliant to get out in the sun and enjoy the day.”
ANNUAL MAGICAL TAXI TOUR TAKES MORE THAN 200 CHILDREN ON THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME
One of London’s most-loved
chil-
dren’s charity events, the Magical Taxi Tour, completed its 26th trip to Paris last month. Taking place every year, the tour is a three-day trip of a lifetime, starting in Canary Wharf, Lon- don and featuring a convoy of licensed London taxis who take over 200 chil- dren, suffering from a range of chronic debilitating illnesses and life-limiting con- ditions, to Disney- land Resort Paris and back over the course of a week- end. The trip to Paris
took place from Fri- day 13th September to Sunday 15th September and con- sisted of 120 taxis enjoying
from the City of London
escorts Police,
French Gendarmerie Nationale, London Ambulance NHS Trust and AA break- down. 40 of the cabs taking part this year were the new electric TX model which,
since its
launch in 2018, is transforming taxi fleets across the UK and Europe with more than 2,500 examples now on the road. Phil Davies, Task Master of the Wor-
OCTOBER 2019
shipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers said: “The taxi drivers who take part in the tour give their time and use of their vehicles freely – and many of the same drivers have done so since the event started.
With the help of our sponsors we can give more children this once-in-a-life- time opportunity and on behalf of the Worshipful Compa- ny of Hackney Carriage Drivers, I would like to say a huge thank you to
them – you are mak- ing a massive difference to the lives of these chil- dren.” Since it began in 1994, the Magical Taxi Tour has taken more than 5,000 children to Disney- land Resort Paris with some taxi drivers having taken part every year. It survives on the gen- erosity of drivers and sponsors. Geely
Holdings,
owner of LEVC, last year made a dona- tion of £100,000 which follows an existing £60,000 sponsorship of the event from 2016 to 2019 and continues
the special partner- ship over the next five years to 2024. Joerg
Hofmann,
LEVC CEO, said: “The Magical Taxi Tour is a fantastic example of why London’s ‘black cab’ drivers are deserved of the title ‘London’s finest’. Their unwa- vering contribution to this charity event has continued for 26 years,
something
the trade should be extremely proud of. Geely’s sponsorship will ensure that this event continues far into the future, allowing many more children to experi- ence this once in a life time trip.”
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