Villagers raise thousands for street cleaner’s holiday but bosses won’t let him take it

People in Beckenham have raised nearly £3,000 so street cleaner Paul Spiers can go on holiday, but his employers Veolia say he cannot accept the money.

Paul Spiers
Locals where Paul Spiers cleans streets in Beckenham have raised nearly £3,000 to send him on holiday. (GoFundMe)

An MP has stepped in after a community raised nearly £3,000 for their local street cleaner to go on a holiday of a lifetime - only for his employer to say he couldn't accept the money.

Locals in Beckenham, south-east London, launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to pay for 63-year-old Paul Spiers, who has been cleaning roads in the area since 2017, to go on his dream holiday to Portugal.

But after they raised £3,000, they were shocked to find that Spiers can't accept the money because his employer Veolia says its contact with Bromley council prohibits staff from accepting any monetary gifts or incentives beyond their regular salary.

Now local MP Liam Conlon has stepped in, saying he has written to councillors asking them to “take action”.

He told the Evening Standard: “This is an act of kindness and generosity that we should celebrate, so I am dismayed that Veolia are treating it as a conflict of interest.

“Veolia’s contract is with Bromley Council, and I have asked the Leader of Bromley Council to see sense and take action. This is not the time for a ‘computer says no’ attitude, but to find a way forward so Paul can enjoy the well-deserved break we all want him to have.”

Paul Portugal
The fundraiser has raised nearly £3,000 for Paul. (GoFundMe)

The GoFundMe fundraiser was set up by Lisa Knight, who wrote: "As an integral part of Beckenham, 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."

In the wake of the disappointing news, Knight wrote on the GoFundMe page: "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."

Bromley Council referred queries to Veolia, whose spokesperson said they would match the amount raised – which would be donated to a charity of Spiers' choice. He will also receive an internal financial reward, the company said.

The 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."

A GoFundMe spokesperson said: "We hope that Paul is eventually allowed to take up this lovely gesture from the local community. Funds are currently held safely and we are here in the meantime to help the organisers with whatever steps they want to take."

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