Paul Spiers, 63, of Beckenham, southeast London, has a GoFundMe page set up for him by Lisa Knight, a neighbor who claims to have met him when he first started working as a sweeper in 2017.
The page was set up on July 30 by estate agent Ms. Knight after Mr. Spiers, who she described as “an integral part of our Beckenham village” and “adored by all,” informed her that he had only been overseas once, to Portugal, and that he had always wanted to return.
On the GoFundMe page, she stated, “Giving him this amazing gift would be a heartfelt way to show our appreciation for everything he does.”
The amount raised to date is £3,315; however, Veolia, Mr. Spiers’ company, refused to let him take the money, claiming doing so would have violated their agreement with Bromley Council.
They told him and Ms. Knight that it was against the regulations for employees to receive gifts or incentives in excess of their base pay.
In an update posted on the GoFundMe page earlier this week, Ms. Knight stated, “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.”
