Bristol University cleaner enjoys holiday to Jamaica paid for by students

A university cleaner described as “the jolliest man” has enjoyed a holiday to Jamaica after students raised money for his trip.

Herman Gordon, who has worked at Bristol University for 12 years, was brought to tears in July after 230 students raised £1,500 so he could visit the the Caribbean island for the first time in a decade with his wife Denise.

The 65-year-old old was part of the Windrush generation, arriving in the UK in 1967 from Jamaica's capital, Kingston.

After the undergrads at the university raised the money, he was able to return home for the first time in years.

There, he was able to hold a belated 23rd wedding anniversary celebration with Denise.

The couple stayed at the luxurious five-star Sandals resort in Montego Bay, where they were treated to a massage and candlelit dinner before spending time with family in Kingston. They shared pictures of themselves relaxing in dressing gowns and enjoying sunset cocktails.

“God bless you all. Everybody will see this and think that I’m a trillionaire,” Herman said, after being shown to his room.

Denise added: “I just wanted to say thank you to all the University of Bristol students for this gift that they have given to me and Herman.”

The moment he was given the money was filmed by students, one whom explained that the money was collected after a crowdfunding appeal.

Mr Gordon was seen wiping away tears with his cleaning cloth and hugs the student.

After receiving the money, he said he felt “blessed” and joked that he wished he could take the students along.

He added: “I try to do my best with the students to help them. When I am cleaning the library, I chat to them and give them advice. I try to encourage to them to do their best in life when they finish their studies.”

The original post had revealed that a group of students started a fundraising page because they wanted to reward Mr Gordon for always being there for them.

“All year round, this man works hours on end to provide us with a clean working space in which to study. But most importantly, his undying positive energy and chit-chat has managed to turn many students’ dark days into positive ones filled with joy. Whether you’re just feeling generally down and out or stressed out due to exams, Herman is always there to speak to you,” it read.

“This legend proves that happiness is not about what you own, what job you have or how much money you’ve got, but about appreciating what you currently have in life.”