The London Taxi Charity has reached the finals of this year’s National Lottery Awards and needs votes frrom the public to win in the Charity/Voluntary category.
The London Benevolent Association for War Disabled Taxi Charity (full name) is run almost entirely by current or retired London cabbies who volunteer throughout the year to provide outings, events and friendship to the capital’s war heroes.
There are videos here of some of the amazing veterans and cabbies that work with the charity.
Please can you help by sharing their appeal for
votes?
Rachel Jones, Press Officer for The London Taxi Benevolent Association For War Disabled
Tel: 07825 568244 Email: rachel@cheltenhamcommunications.co.uk
![[image]](http://collateral.prmax.co.uk/collateral/102707.jpg "74136-1.jpg")
A charity led by cab drivers who support war veterans is appealing for public votes in the finals of this year's National Lottery Awards.
The London Taxi Benevolent Association for War Disabled - known as the Taxi Charity - has beaten off stiff competition from over 600 organisations to reach the public voting stage in the annual awards to find the UK's favourite lottery-funded projects.
The Taxi Charity, which is run almost entirely by current or retired London cabbies, works throughout the year to provide outings, events and camaraderie to London's war heroes.
Scores of veterans, most of them in their 90s, turn-out in all weathers to fundraise for the charity through collections at tube and mainline stations.
The charity received a funding boost from the National Lottery for last year's trip to The Netherlands to celebrate the 70th anniversary Dutch liberation.
92 taxi drivers and volunteers transported 120 WWII veterans plus their spouses or carers on a memorable five-day trip. On arrival in Holland, they were given a true heroes' welcome, flagged by police outriders and cheering locals lining the roads.
The veterans, including many who took part in the liberation of The Netherlands, attended the National Liberation Parade in the town of Wageningen, visited cemeteries and memorials to their missing comrades and attended remembrance services. Their last ceremony was to lay wreaths at sea as they sailed home.
Dick Goodwin, event organiser for the charity said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we've reached the finals of the National Lottery Awards. It's really easy to vote, so we're hoping that people will get behind us. It would be a fantastic reward for everyone involved in the project as well as recognition for the veterans - for them to know the public cares about them and remembers what they went through."
The charity is competing against six other projects to be crowned the winner of the Charity/Voluntary category. If they win, they get a £3,000 cash prize to spend on their project, a National Lottery Awards trophy and the chance to attend a star-studded awards ceremony in London which will be broadcast on BBC One in September.
To vote for the London Taxi Benevolent Association for War Disabled, please visit the Lottery Good Causes website,http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/london-taxi-benevolent-association-war-disabled. Voting is open now and runs until midnight on Wednesday 20 July.
A video about the trip to Arnhem made by The National Lottery can be seenhere
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Taxi Charity
The London Taxi Benevolent Association for War Disabled received £42,000 of National Lottery funding through the Big Lottery Fund. Find out more about the charity visithttp://www.taxicharity.org/ orthe Taxi Charity on Twitter @TaxiCharity and Facebook
In order to fund outings, the charity seeks donations from the general public and organisations, and relies on volunteer London licensed taxi drivers to provide their taxis and time for free.
Over the past years, the charity's events have been honoured with many guests, including HRH Princess Alexandra, HRH Prince Philip, HRH Duchess of Kent, Sir Douglas Bader, Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns and Lady Suzie Johns, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC and many celebrities of TV, sport and theatre.
Follow the Taxi Charity on Twitter@TaxiCharityand onFacebook
National Lottery Awards
There are seven projects competing for votes across seven categories in this year's National Lottery Awards, reflecting the main areas of National Lottery funding: arts, sport, heritage, health, environment, education and voluntary/charity.
Telephone voting calls cost 5p max. A connection charge may be applied by some networks. Please check with your provider.
All voting will be independently adjudicated and verified by Electoral Reform Services.
Contacts
London Taxi Benevolent Association For War Disabled
Rachel Jones Tel: 07825 568244 Email: rachel@cheltenhamcommunications.co.uk
National Lottery Awards
Caroline Roberts Tel: 020 7211 3936 Email:caroline.roberts@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk