21 July 2021
Following the opening of our newly renovated Redhurst Hotel, we asked you to nominate Your Redhurst Hero as part of our community competition to uncover a local hero who went above and beyond to serve their community during the pandemic.
Our panel of judges have carefully selected David Gibson, the founder of the charity Fares 4 Free, as our Redhurst Hero. David, who lives in Simshill, runs the Glasgow based charity which since 2016 has been helping veterans and their families reach the most essential services. Fares4Free is a charity which asks taxi drivers to give up to 4 fares per month to aid veterans of all ages who struggle to get around and get out. David and his team of volunteers aim to help all passengers engage repeatedly with required support. The charity prides itself on its readiness to help and within just one hour of a referral, F4F can have support on the way to a veteran! David runs the initiative across Scotland with support from 22 taxi companies, as well as from local councils and over 30 partner charities, such as ‘Combat Stress’.
To thank David for his contribution to the community, he won £500 worth of Redhurst packages including an overnight stay, dinner, afternoon tea and cocktails. Davids continued generosity shines through as he has decided to offer the prizes to his volunteers and charity staff to enjoy.
We asked our lovely customers at The Redhurst Hotel and the local community to nominate people who make a real difference and that were deserving of some recognition for their efforts. In June, hotel manager Lesley Smith officially launched the search and was immediately overwhelmed by the response.
She said: “When we re-launched the hotel in May after our massive refurbishment we wanted to do something that created a legacy and connected us with our local community. The Your Redhurst Hero search was a perfect way to uncover the people who live locally that are making a difference on our doorstep. After the strangest year of our lives its’s safe to say we have never felt more connected to our neighbours and loved ones and it’s that sense of community spirit that underpins everything we do here at The Redhurst Hotel.
“We received nearly 100 entries and were so inspired by all the stories. David’s charity really stood out through and we immediately felt the invaluable work he has done over the last 12 months to support veteran and their families was amazing. Having had the chance to now meet him he is also a truly selfless individual and his passion for the charity shines out from the moment we met… He is a truly deserving local hero!”
David added: “I’d like to thank Manorview Hotels, the judges and the person who nominated Fares 4 Free. It has been a difficult period to say the least and the impact of the pandemic continues to affect our work and those we work for every day. To me it helps recognise those who stepped up for the first Covid lockdown whether for one journey or 50. My intention is to distribute the prize amongst staff and volunteers.
Fares4Free started in and grew from East Renfrewshire and it feels amazing for the people who helped to be recognised.”
From everyone at Manorview, we’d like to thank all who took part in our local community Redhurst Hero competition!
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