By Jail & Bail Crime Correspondent Andrew Brown
Queenscourt Hospice Director of Corporate Services Debbie Pierce-Lawson is being ‘locked up’ for a catalogue of ‘crimes’ this September – and she needs YOUR help to make bail!
Debbie, has worked for the hospice for the past five years, is among local people taking part in the brand new Jail & Bail initiative.
Jail & Bail will see over a dozen community-minded people ‘locked up’ in the prison cells at the former Southport Magistrates’ Court building, now occupied by Access Point, for a variety of ‘crimes’.
Their only way to escape? By completing daring challenges and seeking support from local people splashing out at least £999 in ‘bail’ money.
Every penny raised through Jail & Bail will go towards Queenscourt Hospice.
If you’d like to help Debbie enjoy the sweet smell of freedom, please donate via the Debbie Lawson Jail & Bail 2023 page on the JustGiving website here.
The charity provides care and support for residents across West Lancashire, Southport and Formby, 365 days a year.
Queenscourt is staging this brand new fundraiser in collaboration with Stand Up For Southport.
It takes place 10am-3pm on Friday, 15th September 2023 at Access Point, based inside the former Southport Magistrates’ Court building, on Albert Road in Southport.
A handful of local ‘criminals’ have already had their collars felt – now organisers are reaching out for more willing participants to join their ‘chain gang’.
Debbie revealed her reasons for taking part.
She said: “I have worked as part of #teamqueenscourt for over five years.
“Queenscourt supported my dad and our family many years ago and has always been close to my heart.
“When the chance came to work as part of #teamqueenscourt I jumped at it, and I haven’t looked back since. I try to support our fundraising activities when I can.
“We receive less than 20% of our funding from statutory sources so it’s vitally important that we find inventive and fun ways to encourage people to support us, either as a volunteer or through a donation.
“People are amazing and never fail to humble me with the amount of time and money that they donate to Queenscourt.
“I’m not the most athletic or adventurous person in the world so challenges like the marathon or skydiving definitely aren’t really my thing.
“I think I can manage to be locked up in a cell and complete a few tasks to (hopefully) raise enough and get released and I would like to say thank you so much to anyone that donates to the bail fund or shares the link to my page.”
Queenscourt Hospice Director of Corporate Services Debbie Pierce-Lawson is taking part in the Jail & Bail fundraiser to raise funds for the charity
There are great reasons to donate to Debbie’s bail money.
She said: “The most important reason to donate is that all bail money raised will help Queenscourt’s mission to deliver specialist support and services within our local communities.
“Hopefully, my friends and family will also want to donate so that I can escape and get home, although I imagine that there are a few of my friends that might find it funnier to donate to keep me in!
“Unfortunately, this isn’t an option for them, not on this occasion anyway.”
The ‘rap sheet’ Debbie is facing is quite a lengthy one…
When asked which ‘crimes’ she feels her family and friends would say she deserve to be ‘put on trial’ for, Debbie said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if I was accused of being rather sarcastic on occasion and a few people might relish the chance of ‘sending me down’ for that crime.
“I regularly attend the quiz night at the Guest House, and I suspect that some other teams might accuse me of being a little bit too competitive sometimes.
“Finally, I don’t think there is much doubt that people feel I have committed ‘crimes against fashion’ on many occasions over the years. I’m sure that there is plenty of photographic evidence out there and I’m just hoping that not too much of it will come to light!”
Queenscourt Hospice provides access to specialist palliative care either at home (including care homes), hospital or in Queenscourt via the Inpatient Unit or as an Outpatient.
- For more details or to register your interest please email Queenscourt Hospice Fundraising Manager Liz Hartley at: fundraising@queenscourt.org.uk or email: Stand Up For Southport owner Andrew Brown at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
- To contribute to Debbie’s bail appeal please donate via the Debbie Lawson Jail & Bail 2023 page on the JustGiving website here.
- For more news about the work of Queenscourt Hospice, please visit: www.queenscourt.org.uk
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
