Funeral director offers family chauffeur-driven trip

Dorset Funeral Plan, run by the Douch Family Funeral Directors, treated a family to a chauffeur-driven trip to one of Dorset’s most popular pubs for Sunday lunch.

Phil and Babs Williams from Bovington were the winners of a competition held at the Margaret Green Animal Rescue fun day. The couple won the prize after guessing that there were 172 balloons in the company’s electric car – just one short of the total.

Phil and Babs always attend the Margaret Green fun day and entered the competition just to help the centre. Lorry driver Phil said: “Every year we go to the Margaret Green fun day and always buy a few things and enter the competitions.”

Along with their daughter, Georgie, and her two young boys, Romeo and Riker, the Williams were driven by chauffeur Derek Trotter to the Halfway Inn near Wareham.

Phil said: “We were thrilled to win and our daughter and grandsons came with us. The prize was a meal for two so I paid for the others, but the pub said it would donate that amount to Margaret Green which was very generous of them.

“We had a fantastic meal and were particularly pleased it was at the Halfway Inn because we’ve tried to eat there before but it’s always been fully booked.

“The journey was wonderful and so smooth the children fell asleep almost at once.”

The giveaway was run by staff from The Dorset Funeral Plan. The balloon competition along with a tombola offering prizes donated by local businesses raised £322 for the charity.

As well as Swanage and Wareham, Douch Family Funeral Directors has branches in Ferndown, Poole, Upton, Wimborne, Swanage, Corfe Mullen and Blandford.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue is the oldest and largest of its kind in Dorset and relies on donations to support the animals it cares for.