Westside BID’s chairman Gerald Manton has managed to escape his prison cell – and without the need of a hacksaw.
Mr Manton volunteered to take part in a ‘Jail or Bail’ fundraiser event organised by addiction and homeless charity Changes UK.
And the good news for his friends and family is that he was only ‘banged up’ for a few hours yesterday before raising sufficient money for his release.
Gerald was locked up in a tiny cell inside the former Steelhouse Lane police station in Birmingham city centre following a fake trial which inevitably saw him convicted.
He then had to remain in his cell in what is now the West Midlands Police Museum until the £999 fundraising target had been met.
A relieved Mr Manton said after his ordeal: “Having your freedom taken away from you for even a few hours, and in a small cell, is really eye-opening.
“Getting charged and then found guilty was quite amusing, but it was pretty boring being stuck in a cell, even though I had my mobile phone which you wouldn’t normally have in prison.
“Fortunately, I was inside for nearly five hours before the money was raised, and it’s all in a good cause.”
Mr Manton, who shared his cell with a Solihull councillor, succeeded in collecting £1,150 from donors on his fundraising page to achieve his freedom.
He has been a supporter of Changes UK for almost 10 years due to friends and family members having struggled with addiction in the past.
The charity was hoping to raise £25,000 from the Jail or Bail event on 16 October after challenging various local business leaders including Mr Manton to become ‘jailbirds’ for the day.
You can still contribute to Mr Mantons’ fundraising efforts here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bail-gerald
Nic Romano, Changes UK Funding and Partnership Manager, said it was important to raise awareness of addiction through such events. For more information about the charity, go to https://changesuk.org.
Main picture: Gerald Manton (right) in the cell with Cllr Daniel Gibbin of Solihull Council, who was also released from jail after raising £1,050 in ‘bail’ money.
