Jail and Bail is a brand new fundraising event for 2019, which will see a number of community leaders and well-known figures spending time behind bars (for entirely fictitious crimes!) at Eastbourne’s historic Redoubt Fortress. The jailers’ only hope of freedom lies in raising £1,000 in bail money with the help of their connections, friends, family and - most importantly - the public! All funds raised are in support of St Wilfrid’s vital work.

This nefarious crew will have from between now to the date of their court trial - which has been confirmed for the 29th of March at the Redoubt - to deliver the bond, or else face a lengthy prison stay!To find out more visit www.stwhospice.org

The first prisoner for March’s Jail and Bail fundraising event -  which will see a number of community leaders locked up in aid of St Wilfrid’s - has been confirmed as the editor, journalist and storyteller, Keith Ridley!

Prior to his retirement from the media business in 2015, Keith was editor-in-chief of the Eastbourne Herald and Gazette for six years. His departure marked the end of a 42-year career in local newspapers and media, which began in Northamptonshire and saw him editing the newspaper of his home town, the Daventry Express, at just 21.

Keith says he feels privileged as part of his career to have been involved in the community life of so many towns – but none more special to him than Eastbourne, which he has now made his family home. Having supported numerous good causes locally, he is understandably embarrassed that an unblemished life is suddenly in question.

In his long and varied journalistic career, Keith was responsible for many a breaking news story - but this time he’s the one in the spotlight.

In November of last year, Ridley was convicted on five counts of misuse of the English Language. His offences include using ‘less’ when ‘fewer’ was called for, employing the Oxford comma with impunity and misspelling his own name. Ridley’s other offences were too grave to commit to print.

Ridley’s trial - for which he has submitted a written plea of ‘nawt gullty’ (sic) - will take place on March 29th at the Redoubt Fortress, Eastbourne.

The trial’s outcome does not look promising for Ridley, so he will no doubt be relying on the generosity of friends, family and the public to put up his £1,000 bail bond.

All funds raised from Ridley’s bail will go towards supporting St Wilfrid’s vital work in our local community.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.