Need-a-Cab backs St Luke’s ‘Sponsor a Nurse’ with heartfelt support

31st March 2026
  • Local taxi firm Need‑a‑Cab has stepped forward to sponsor St Luke’s Sponsor a Nurse campaign
  • Personal links to the charity has made this support all the more meaningful for Need-a-Cab
  • By sponsoring a nurse, you can help keep our nurses on the roads and on the wards delivering their specialist care at home and at our specialist unit.

Local taxi firm Need‑a‑Cab supporting St Luke’s Sponsor a Nurse campaign

Local taxi firm Need‑a‑Cab has stepped forward to sponsor St Luke’s Sponsor a Nurse campaign, helping to keep our nurses on the roads and on the wards so they can continue delivering expert hospice care across the community.

For Need‑a‑Cab, this support is personal. Trevor Kelvin Garbet, Marketing and Management for the long‑established taxi company, explained why the team felt moved to get involved.

“All of us have a personal link with St Luke’s at some point in our lives,” he said. “My own mother, Barbara Garbet, died here. And my colleague Richie’s dad was supported by St Luke’s. We all want to do our bit to support the care if we can.”

Need‑a‑Cab has been part of Plymouth’s story since 1963. Over the years, the company has grown from 26 cars to around 220. Its owners have invested heavily in technology and kept their focus on being a local business rooted in the community.

“They’re very keen to support local causes,” Trevor said. “Backing St Luke’s means a lot to all of us.”

Trevor Kelvin Garbet, Marketing and Management at Need-a-Cab

“A massive help to me and my mum”

Driver Liaison Manager Richie Alford also shared his family’s experience of hospice care at home. His dad, Richard ‘Boy’ Alford, was well known across the local taxi trade and died 18 months ago after a short but difficult illness.

“We cared for him at home,” Richie said. “St Luke’s nurses came in and they were a great help to me and my mum. In that situation, when you’re heartbroken, it’s hard to cope. The nurses were so kind, so human. They take everything into consideration. I couldn’t speak highly enough of them.”

Richie added that being able to keep his dad at home meant everything.

“He was an older generation and very stubborn. He didn’t want to leave home, even though coming to the specialist unit at Turnchapel would have been fine. Having the option to stay at home, with the nurses coming in, made a huge difference. The support afterwards meant a lot too. They even contacted my mum to check how she was coping.”

 Richie Alford, Driver Liaison Manager at Need-a-Cab

Giving back through running

Since losing his dad, Richie has also taken on personal challenges to raise money. What began as training for a 5K grew into an ultra‑marathon last year. Later this year, he plans to run again – this time in aid of St Luke’s.

“We’ll try to get as much sponsorship as we can,” he said. “St Luke’s touches everybody in Plymouth. Whatever we can do to help, we will. As a company and personally, it makes me proud to be involved.”

A shared purpose

For Trevor, Richie and the whole Need‑a‑Cab team, supporting St Luke’s is about giving back to the place that has supported their own families, and thousands of others.

“We’ve all got a connection,” Trevor said. “It means a lot to play a small part in helping St Luke’s care for local people.”

Their sponsorship helps ensure St Luke’s nurses can continue travelling across Plymouth, West Devon and South Hams – reaching people in their own homes when they need us most.

How can I sponsor a nurse?

St Luke’s nurses are a special breed; they choose to use their skills in an environment and situation that many would find difficult. But that’s why they do it – they know they have something very precious to offer; advice, support and compassionate care to patients and their families at the end of their own lives, or someone they are close to.

You can make a real difference to a patient’s life by sponsoring our nurses working at our specialist unit and visiting you at home. Your generous gift will help us to continue to provide much needed care to the people in your community.

Find out more about how you can sponsor a nurse today.

Need-a-Cab Taxi firm Sponsor a St Luke’s Nurse

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