03 Jul 2026
A host of well-known figures from across the St Albans district will be brought to justice when arrest warrants are issued by a local homelessness charity.
Herts Young Homeless will be overseeing jail time for various familiar faces as part of The Great Escape, hoping to raise £6,000 for the charity, which will be doubled thanks to its partnership with Helping Herts.
Participants will be arrested at 10am on Friday July 10, and once caught, each “convict” will reach out to their networks, via social media, email and in person, to ask for donations to secure their release from the cells at the St Albans Museum + Gallery, with bail set at £1,000 per person.
Community fundraising officer Nicola MacKinnon said: “Here at Herts Young Homeless a number of crimes have been drawn to our attention and for the sake of the public, and to support the cause of stopping youth homelessness before it starts, we are asking the public to help us.
“Follow on our social media and donate to help the criminal you feel deserve your support the most. And thanks to our partnership with Helping Herts, any money you donate will be doubled.”
Those taking part include Mix 92.6 presenter Jonny Seabrook, the Rt Rev Jo Kelly-Moore, Dean at St Albans Cathedral, Emma Parkhouse from The Great Northern Pub and Cllr Beth Fisher, Deputy Mayor of Harpenden.
Dean Jo explained why she wants to break free: “Herts Young Homeless is one of the charities that St Albans Cathedral supports every year. They do extraordinary work supporting young people at the most difficult and vulnerable moments in their lives.
“At the heart of Alban’s story is giving a home to someone who was homeless and fleeing persecution. Working to ensure everyone has a safe home is part of our mission at the Cathedral. If spending a few hours in a cell, and persuading friends to help ‘bail me out’, helps raise awareness and funds for that work, then it feels like a very small sacrifice.”
She said years of Cathedral meetings have taught her patience, which will help her cope with a long night of incarceration: “I shall also be brushing up on my hymn repertoire, as singing is good for the soul. Although my fellow prisoners may decide to contribute generously just to make me stop singing!”
So has she ever been arrested in real life? “No. As a lawyer, and for the last 25 years a priest, I have managed to stay on the right side of the law so far. I have been involved in prison ministry however and I know that if you become homeless you are much more likely to end up in prison, and many prisoners, including young people, are released to street homelessness. We have to change that. Please give generously to Herts Young Homeless! Every gift makes a real difference.
“I’m hoping to appeal to the kindness and generosity of the wonderful community of our city, for so many of whom the Cathedral is a centre of community. If that fails, I may have to resort to pleading and promises of coffee and cake at the Deanery!
“As Dean of St Albans, being a preacher is all about the art of persuasion! I also spend quite a lot of time encouraging people to be generous. I’m hoping that experience will stand me in good stead when it comes to asking people to sponsor my release – especially for this great cause.”
Another former lawyer switching from the bench to behind bars is Cllr Beth Fisher: “When I received the email, the idea sounded really good fun. I practised as a criminal barrister for a few years, so I obviously jumped at the chance to get stuck in!”
Although she’s never been arrested personally, she has some experience of what happens: “When we were at bar school, a group of us stayed at Snow Hill Police Station in London because their digs were cheap and we had mug shots and finger prints done! That was good fun.
“Herts Young Homeless is one of [Harpenden] Mayor Kirsti Wenn’s nominated charities so I am keen to support her to ensure her year is a success. I am jumping out of a plane later this month for Youth Talk so this one will be a walk in the park!”
She is hoping that she won’t have to spend the whole night in the cells: “I have people who I’m sure will send some very useful objects to help me escape… the more money I raise the more packages will arrive. I am hoping that the eminent and very sensible JP Annie Brewster DL will be lenient if I don’t manage to evade capture or my escape attempts fail.”
Jonny Seabrook is a long-standing supporter of the charity, which he has featured on his radio show many times.
“They are always so innovative in their fundraising ideas and this seemed like a unique way to raise awareness and funds for the work they do.”
He said the most worrying prospect of the whole event was a night behind bars: “Can anything prepare you? One thing that may help is that to escape the very hot nights recently I have been sleeping on a mat on a cool tiled floor.”
He said his tactics for securing release are plain and simple begging and pleading: “The ability to talk is my biggest weapon, and probably my only weapon. I am hoping to talk my way out of this situation.
“I’m hoping the listeners to the Weekend Wake Up show on Mix 92.6 and the fans of St Albans City FC will all bail me out!! I am supposed to be on the radio twice on Saturday!
“If I’m locked up there will be no ‘Wake Up’ for Hertfordshire and secondly I am scheduled to be commentating on the Saints’ first pre-season friendly away to Hanworth Villa on Saturday afternoon. If I’m still locked up there will be no football coverage, so I am hoping the fans will rescue me.”
To join in with the fun and sponsor some of the convicts, go to The Great Escape.
