Food for thought as UB40 stars and celebrity chef spend night in Shrewsbury prison
UB40 guitarist Robin Campbell and celebrity chef Glyn Purnell helped raise £50,000 for charity after agreeing to spend a night locked up in Shrewsbury jail.
The tough Victorian jail, nicknamed 'The Dana' after a medieval prison which stood nearby, saw seven inmates executed between 1902 and 1961. It was decommissioned in 2013.
Robin and Glyn were among 25 people from the West Midlands who agreed to spend a night in the cells to raise funds for charities Cash For Kids Midlands and LoveBrum.
Members of the public were invited to sponsor them, and the sooner they reached their targets, the sooner they were released.
So far, more than £50,000 has been raised, with donations still coming in.
Robin shared a cell with his bandmate Matt Doyle and James Abdou and Matt Campbell from their management team. They had a target of £5,000, but managed to attract 72 donations totalling £7,229.
Businessman Paul Richardson, 64, owner of the Hera clothing group, took second place, attracting 87 donations totalling £6,600.
Tim Andrews, who founded the LoveBrum charity to support good causes in the Birmingham area, also broke his £5,000, target, attracting 112 donations totalling £5,313.
DJ Andy Crane from Greatest Hits Radio raised £3,640, while Free Radio's Roisin McCourt took 135 donations totalling £1,930.
Chef Glyn Purnell managed to raise £1,210 during the event, which took place on September 28.
They agreed to stage the fundraiser following a recent report which said that one in three children in the Midlands was living in poverty.
Charlotte Walker, Midlands regional manager for the Cash for Kids charity, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many people coming together to fund-raise for Cash for Kids and LoveBrum.
"Every penny raised will go to vulnerable local children dealing with the devastating consequences of the cost-of-living crisis."
Jo Seabright from the LoveBrum charity added: “LoveBrum and Cash for Kids want to say a huge thank you to each individual who is taking part in the challenge and has agreed to spend the night in a prison cell, away from their home comforts and luxuries to help make the lives of local disadvantaged children that bit better.”
People can still donate to the appeal on the website cashforkidsgive.co.uk/campaign/cash-for-kids-set-me-free/
