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Fundraising Campaign to Lock-Up the Mayor of Derby and 11 Local Business Leaders Raises More than £3,000 in Less than Two Weeks

Derby’s business community and the public are throwing their support behind a fundraising campaign which will see Derby’s First Citizen and 11 local business people locked up for the day - with more than £3,000 donated in less than two weeks.

The Mayor of Derby, Councillor John Whitby, along with eleven well known business people, is set to face a day behind bars on Friday 20 April in aid of the Mayor’s five chosen charities: Safe and Sound; Children First; Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre; The British Red Cross and Derby Museums Trust.

Less than two weeks since the campaign was launched and an impressive £3,128 has already been raised.

So far, Dean Jackson, managing director of HUUB, is topping the donation chart, having already raised £640. Ian Morgan, chairman of Derbyshire County Cricket Club, is not far behind with £460, with Al Ca-Mo Suleman, ‘The Money Man’ at Derby Museums, in third place with £458.

There’s still a long way to go though and plenty of time to knock Dean off the top spot!

‘Derby’s Big Lock Up’ is being co-ordinated by Ann Bhatti, head of the Connect Derby managed workspace scheme, which has seven buildings across the city, including Riverside Chambers, which has the original police cells in its basement.

On 20 April, the 12 ‘inmates’ will face a mock ‘arrest’ at their place of work. The deadly dozen will be charged with a whole host of ‘misdemeanours’ - from crimes against fashion and aggravated assault on dress codes, to cattle rustling, laundering chocolate coins and stalking Gregg’s cheese and onion pasties.

After the inmates have been rounded-up, they’ll be transferred to the cells at Riverside Chambers, where they’ll have to undertake a series of tasks to earn food and treats.

Their colleagues and members of the public are being asked to make a small donation to vote for the person they’d most like to see locked up and make further donations to view the footage of the inmates doing their time in the cells.

Commenting on the successful launch of the appeal, Mayor John Whitby said:

“I’m overwhelmed by the generosity that has been shown by the city’s business community and the public so far and can’t thank everyone enough for their donations.

“I don’t think I, or any of the other volunteers for that matter, ever thought we’d be making an appeal to be locked up in a jail cell, but to have raised £3,128 in such a short time is absolutely brilliant.

“I’d like to ask everyone to continue making donations, so we can exceed our fundraising target of £25,000.

Ann Bhatti, head of Connect Derby, added:

“As well as raising much-needed funds for the Mayor’s five chosen charities, the Big Lock-Up is proving lots of fun, with the 12 ‘inmates’ all competing against each other to see who can raise the most money.

“If you can spare a few pounds, visit our website and vote to see the Mayor locked up and have to face a number of challenges to earn his food for the day!”

To find out more about ‘Derby’s Big Lock Up’ or to make a donation, visit www.thebiglockup.co.uk . Regular updates will be made during the day via the dedicated social media pages, so be sure to follow for up-to-date news and information.

*Information correct as of 19 March 2018 and is subject to change.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Donna Hill .