60 London cabbies volunteer to help 120 veterans on seaside day out

Every year since 1948, the Taxi Charity has been taking veterans to Worthing for the day, to spend time with their friends and enjoy seaside favourites, fish and chips and ice cream. This year’s outing was only a week after many of the veterans spent a week in Normandy with The Taxi Charity for D Day 75, remembering the friends they lost.

60 Kind-hearted volunteer London cabbies picked up 120 veterans and their carers from their homes across the South East on Tuesday 18 June to take them for a much-loved day trip to Worthing. The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans was formed in Fulham in 1948, to work for the benefit, comfort and enjoyment of military veterans and arranges many trips every year for veterans from all conflicts. The charity offers international trips to Holland, Belgium and France, day trips to concerts or museums, transport to attend fundraising events, as well as special days out to catch up with friends and comrades.

To fund and facilitate these outings, the charity is wholly reliant on generous donations from members of the public, businesses and trusts and the amazing group of London licensed taxi drivers who offer their time and vehicles for free.

Graham Pike, one of the London cabbies taking part, and a committee member of the Taxi Charity, said: “Our annual Worthing trip is something we look forward to all year. It’s a pleasure to treat these ladies and gents to a trip to the seaside as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for all they’ve done for us.”