LMC Principal is sent to jail!

Lancaster & Morecambe College has announced that its Principal, Danny Braithwaite, is being sent to prison for undisclosed crimes.  However, students, staff and parents don't need to worry, as it is all in the name of charity! 

Danny, who joined LMC in September 2023, has agreed to be locked up in Lancaster Castle's notorious ’A' Wing as part of a Jail and Bail campaign to raise much-needed funds for St John's Hospice.  He will be joining managers from a number of local and regional businesses, who will each be tasked with raising a minimum of £999 "bail" money to unlock their cell doors and walk free. 

LMC's Head of Engagement, Victoria Carter, nominated Danny to take part in the fundraising activity, as part of the College's commitment to supporting the local community.  

We have always encouraged our learners and staff to take part in social action projects and fundraising activities, and we thought that the Jail & Bail event was a great way to raise not just funds for the hospice, but also awareness of the incredible work it does for our whole community. We plan to hold a range of activities in the run-up to the event, with students organising their own fundraising challenges, to help Danny meet his bail target of £999.

The event takes place on Wednesday, 30th October, and participants will be locked away in a cell in A Wing, with just their laptop and mobile phone. After being "processed", with mugshots and fingerprints being taken, the prisoners will then have 5 hours to raise the necessary funds to gain their freedom. They will be given 40 minutes exercise time in the castle courtyard, but the rest of the time they will be in solitary confinement and will be relying on friends and colleagues donating to their fund to allow them to gain their freedom. 

Danny was keen to get involved with the fundraising event, as soon as he heard about it. 

It is a great way to raise money and awareness for the hospice, and although it will be a fun day there is obviously a very serious side to this. The £999 bail money could pay for 11 Hospice at Home visits to patients in our community, or 50 hours of nursing care on the inpatient ward. Lancaster & Morecambe College is proud to support local charities and encourage our staff and students to take part in fundraising and awareness campaigns, throughout the year.

The College supports a number of local charities with recent campaigns raising much-needed donations for Cancer Care and Morecambe Food Bank and last year they submitted a successful bid, in collaboration with Myerscough and Furness colleges, to fund a full-time Youth Social Action apprentice, through the AoC and Pears Foundation. The role supports learners from across the 3 colleges to design and deliver social projects which benefit their wider communities, with students taking part in litter picks, arts & gardening projects and a political engagement programme. 

You can help secure Danny's freedom by donating to his JustGiving page or by taking part in the student-led activities on campus.