News / The University of Bristol
Bristol University cleaner thanks students who raised funds for his trip of a lifetime
University of Bristol cleaner Herman Gordon has thanked students for giving him “the gift of a lifetime”.
More than 230 students raised £1,577 to allow Herman and his wife to see his family in Jamaica. The last time Herman made this trip was four years ago and he was moved to tears by the generous gesture.
The funds meant the couple were able to splash out on a couple of nights in a 5-star resort in Montego Bay and photos of them enjoying their holiday have made the national headlines.
The biomedical sciences cleaner, who has worked at the university for more than 12 years, has been described by students as ‘a Bristol institution’.
Back in May, a post on Facebook page, ‘Bristruths’, calling the cleaner, ‘the jolliest man I have ever met’ prompted 20-year-old medical student Hadi Al-Zubaidi to set up a crowdfunding page for Herman.
Within one week, the page had reached the target.
A heart-warming video of Herman opening crying tears of joy as he opened the envelope of money went viral.
In a video of their trip released on the university’s Twitter page Herman says, ‘God bless you all. Everybody will see this and think that I’m a trillionaire’.
https://twitter.com/BristolUni/status/1041990250191618048
His wife said: “I just want to say thank you to the University of Bristol students for this gift they have given to me and Herman.”
The university has shared photos and the video of Herman’s trip on social media. Pictures show the couple enjoying their 23rd wedding anniversary together.
Photos taken from the University of Bristol Facebook page (originally from Sandals).
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