Cllr Adrian Wood is preparing to face justice, all in the name of charity, as he takes part in Weldmar Hospicecare’s Jail and Bail fundraising challenge.
Adrian will be ‘put on trial’ at the historic courtroom at Shire Hall, Dorchester, on Friday 13 March, charged with the crime of “becoming an office whirlwind and leaving a trail of chaos”, a charge to which he will be pleading guilty.
While the offence may be light-hearted, the description is familiar to many.
As the owner of Advantage Digital Print, Adrian is known for clearing an order queue with impressive speed, only to leave a wake of paperwork, coffee cups and general creative disorder behind him. Once the work is done, he disappears just as quickly, leaving others to navigate the aftermath.
Following his sentencing, Adrian will be placed in the courthouse cells for the day, armed with nothing but his mobile phone and sheer determination as he attempts to raise enough ‘bail’ to secure his release.
Every donation raised makes a real difference.
£82 can fund a counselling session for a patient or bereaved relative. £792 provides a bed at a Weldmar Inpatient Unit for 24 hours. £1,612 supports a patient receiving care from their local Weldmar Specialist Hospice at Home hub.
Weldmar Hospicecare needs to raise more than £27,000 every day to continue delivering vital services to patients and families across Dorset.
Weldmar Hospicecare holds a deeply personal significance for Adrian, he said, “Weldmar has been close to my heart for a number of years as they looked after my mum in her final days when she lost her battle with cancer.”
“I am excited to be raising funds for such an incredible charity. This event should be great fun, and I’m hoping I get out by the end of the day!”
Adrian has supported the charity in numerous ways over the years, including involvement in the Stampede by the Sea project in 2025 and helping to initiate the Abseil for Weldmar challenge the council took part in last May, which raised an impressive £6,300.
Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum has kindly donated the use of its courtroom and cells for the event. As an independent charity, Shire Hall preserves on of Dorset’s most important historic sites, bringing stories of justice, injustice and social change to life.
Reflecting on a previous Jail and Bail event, Weldmar Fundraising Lead, Fiona Hansford said, “It was a brilliant day with a fantastic atmosphere. Almost £6,000 raised by just four people in one day is incredible. That funding enabled nine people to receive 24 hours of care at our Inpatient Unit at a time when they needed it most.”
We wish Cllr Adrian Wood the very best of luck during his time behind bars - and have no doubt he will rally the support and raise an impressive sum alongside his fellow ‘inmates’. Donations to Adrian’s fundraising page will be open from Monday 9 March.
