Here at Cab Direct we’re frequently thrilled by stories of generous cabbies. Never more so, however, than with the efforts of big-hearted taxi driver Stephen Picton, of Hartlepool.
Steve, who started raising money for charity around three and a half years ago after the death of a close friend, has vowed to raise £50,000 before he’s 40. With his 39th birthday looming in April and little over a year to reach his goal you could be forgiven for thinking this a fairly enormous task.
Steve is far from daunted though. He tells : “I’ve raised £32,000 so far and I’m confident I’ll smash my target.”
Steve has undertaken a variety of fundraising activities in order to reach his goal, including organising two ‘Stars in Their Eyes’ nights which alone raised well in excess of £10,000. Steve also happily takes to the stage himself where he performs as Peter Kay, Roy Chubby Brown and characters from Little Britain to raise cash.
The cabbie’s most recent effort, a DVD on sale for £10 at various outlets across Hartlepool, is a two hour documentary. Aptly named Haunted Hartlepool, it features real life ghost hunters uncovering spooky goings on at five sites across the town. Steve tells : “I hope to sell 3,000 copies, which will more than exceed the £50,000 target I’m aiming for.”
In honour of all his hard work, which has helped countless charities and individuals over the years, we weren’t surprised to learn that Steve was previously crowned Community Champion by the Hartlepool Mail. Given his kind-hearted nature, it also didn’t come as a shock to learn that Steve gave every last cent of his £500 prize money away!