One well-known retail manager is preparing for a very unusual day at work this November: spending time behind bars in support of St John’s Hospice.

Laura Stanbridge, retail manager at St John’s Hospice, will be among a group of volunteer ‘prisoners’ taking part in the charity’s infamous Jail and Bail fundraiser on November 18.

Participants will be locked in a real prison cell in Lancaster Castle and challenged to raise enough “bail money” to secure their release.

Local businesses and organisations have been nominating their bosses for the event, which begins with prisoners being issued with a prison uniform, escorted through the city, photographed for their mugshots and finally locked up by the Castle’s prison guards.

The challenge is simple but far from easy: raise £999 in bail money.

Laura and her fellow prisoners will spend the day contacting friends, family, colleagues and business contacts to help them reach their target.

Every pound raised will support St John’s Hospice to provide vital end of life and palliative care.

Laura says she didn’t need much convincing to take part.

She said: “You can’t work for St John’s Hospice without thinking of the patients and families the hospice supports every day. The retail team are vital. We’re all proud of how our shops directly make a positive difference to patient and family care.

“In just 12 months the St John’s Hospice at Home team made 3,953 visits to patients in their own homes, provided 587 night sits and made 11,206 support telephone calls. We’ve helped make that possible, so St John’s Hospice is genuinely a cause close to our hearts.”

Although a little nervous about reaching her £999 target, Laura is already receiving support from the hospice’s 10 charity shops, all of which have donation buckets ready to help raise her bail money.

If you would like to help secure Laura’s release, pop into your local St John’s Hospice shop and make a donation. You might even find a bargain while supporting a fantastic local cause.

You can also donate directly by visiting https://stjohnshospicelancaster.enthuse.com/pf/laura-stanbridge

After all, nobody wants to leave Laura behind bars for too long!