Taxi driver working Christmas Day to donate fares to charity

Mark Dewar's wife Lynette was diagnosed with lung and spine cancer in 2020 and was supported by St Giles Hospice before her death in 2021.

The charity, which has two hospices, continued to help the taxi driver with bereavement support which he later described as being "lifesaving".

Now this Christmas, Mark – who runs his own firm Acorns Taxis – will be trying to raise as much money as possible as a way of saying thanks.

The driver, from Tamworth, said: "St Giles Hospice took brilliant care of Lynette, and there’s not enough I can do in this world to thank them for that. Christmas is a hard time for me now that Lynette, is no longer here.

"I’ll be working on Christmas Day to ensure my colleagues can spend time with their families and make special memories – just because I don’t have that anymore, it doesn’t mean others should have to halt their plans and work."

Mark, met his wife Lynette in 1981 at a disco at his army barracks in Maidstone. Mark was on the DJ decks at the event and Lynette asked him to play the ABBA hit Super Trouper”— it was love at first sight and within six weeks of knowing each other they married on November 6, 1981.

Mark said: “We did everything together to the exclusion of everyone else – walk mountains, hanglide, bungee jumping – we were an adventurous pair. We had a great life, she was not only my wife, she was my best mate.”

Lynette was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 after being referred to hospital. She thought she had pulled something in her back, but the scan determined she had stage four cancer which hit them both like a "ton of bricks".

“Lockdown in 2020, although unfortunate for many, gave me the chance to spend quality time with Lynette and it gave us chance to talk and get everything sorted – she decided she wanted to die at home," the taxi driver said.

When Lynette’s condition began to deteriorate, the family received regular visits from the St Giles Hospice at Home team once or twice a week. Mark added: “The team was unbelievable – they provided such personal and bespoke care.

“We had this favourite place in Scotland, right on the north west coast – from the kitchen window the beach was 100 yards away and dolphins were swimming in the bay. In 2020 Lynette had just finished chemotherapy and we planned this trip to Scotland – the Hospice at Home team helped us enjoy our final trip away together.

“I will always be grateful to St Giles for the time and effort that went into my Lynette’s care and the importance of those final moments we got to share with each other.”

On Christmas Day, locals can book their journey via the Acorns Taxis App or they can phone 01827 63333. As well as donating the taxi fare to St Giles Hospice, Mark will also have a collection bucket in his car so that passengers can also donate any spare change. Please note that drivers are allocated depending on location, so passengers won't be guaranteed Mark as a driver.

The charity runs a hospice in Whittington, near Lichfield, and another in Sutton Coldfield.