‘Stirling’ driver gets his own special delivery
Caring villagers rally to surprise injured worker with cash
‘We had been talking about how we could help while he was not earning’
A delivery driver from Maidstone who had to take time off work after an injury was left ‘speechless’ after villagers came together to surprise him on his first day back.
Stirling Carey, who works for Optimal Holdings, has been delivering across Maidstone on behalf of companies like Amazon and Hermes for more than four years.
One of its longest-serving drivers he has become so popular among households in Lenham, residents were concerned to hear he had to take time off after a leg injury.
The 48-year-old dislocated his knee after slipping on a drain cover during his rounds. He was forced to take two weeks off to recover.
Missing their regular chats and their parcels delivered safely and securely, villagers in Lenham took it upon themselves to help Stirling through his injury by raising funds while he was off sick.
Helaina Storey, 31, from Grafty Green, created a Just Giving page to collect donations from wellwishers.
The mother-of-three said: “He is such a warm and lovely guy who works so hard. As a community we had been talking about how we could help while he was away and not earning and someone suggested we started a collection.
“I set up a Just Giving page which raised about £600 in just 24 hours and our target was only £200.
“When he was back at work, I just couldn’t wait to tell him. I filmed it so everyone could see his reaction and when I shared the video it then went up to a thousand, and then beyond that. Stirling said: “It was overwhelming because I haven’t got any family, only my step daughter, so for them to do that was just beyond belief. I was speechless.
“The money will go towards buying my own van. At the moment I’m having to rent one.”