In a dramatic turn of events yesterday, our very own Director, Kelly Tulloch, found herself behind bars! But don’t panic – she hadn’t gone rogue or got caught shoplifting in Tesco. No, this was all part of Maggie’s Centre’s Yorkshire’s Jail or Bail charity event – and what an excellent event it was!
Kelly was “charged” with controlling the heating, making everyone cold. Forcing her poor staff to layer up when she’s in the office – to which she is obviously guilty as charged! As part of the day Kelly was brought before the judge to present her case, plead her innocence and hopefully get herself out of the trouble. Unfortunately when asked about this, it went the other way. She replied to the judge “It’s actually quite warm in here, could we have the air con on? I get angry when I’m sweaty!” Which threw her case immediately out of the window. Ensuing the response “Take her away” from the judge!
What happened in jail?
Kelly was joined by 5 other inmates; Bob Elderton, Carly Tordoff, David Parkin, Richard Smailes and Wayne Topley. Each of them guilty of their own crime and detained at Maggie’s pleasure! Each prisoner were allowed a laptop and a phone. Not to do their daily jobs – but to use to raise their bail money for the Yorkshire Maggie’s Centre! If they managed to raise it, they’d be set free. If not… they’d be stuck behind bars with nothing but weak tea and dodgy jail karaoke.
Together with her fellow inmates, they all managed to raise an amazing £15,000 (and counting) + gift aid! Which is a phenomenal amount of money (considering the target was £6,000). All of that is going straight to Maggie’s Centres to support people living with cancer.
All participants were eventually freed (no prison tattoos required), with their heads held high and their fundraising totals even higher. We’re so proud of Kelly for getting stuck in and helping make a real difference. We’re also relieved she’s back in the office! She really wasn’t happy with the black and white stripes, and prison was just too warm for her!
A little about Maggie’s Centres
Maggie’s isn’t just a building – it’s a lifeline. Their centres provide free support for people living with cancer. Offering everything from practical advice and emotional counselling to workshops, courses, and a warm place to breathe.
The Yorkshire centre, based at St James’s Hospital in Leeds, does incredible work helping people navigate one of the toughest journeys of their lives – with compassion, care, and plenty of tea.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated, cheered from the sidelines, or helped break Kelly out (with legal methods, of course – at one point we did have Sharon from Payroll on the phone saying she was outside with a file!) from jail. You’ve all helped Maggie’s continue their incredible mission – and ensured our Director didn’t have to learn the harmonica and start a prison band.
Even though they’re all free, you can still add to their grand total by sponsoring Kelly on her Just Giving Page. Here’s a little video of the day