Community Raises $20,000 For Milk Man Who Retired But Did Not Receive His Pension — 'He Was So Much More Than Our Milk Man'
Not only was he a milkman to his community, but he was also a mentor, security guard and friend to so many people.
Dragon Images / Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock After a London man spent nearly half a century delivering cartons of milk to his community, he decided that the time was right to finally retire. Unfortunately, that decision meant he'd be without income for a year until his pension is due to kick in.
Thankfully, his community decided to come together to raise the funds to help him out in the meantime.
Mick Tutton worked as a milkman delivering jugs to residents of an English town since 1976.
The milkman, known as “Mick the Milk” by locals of the neighborhood of St. Micheals in St. Albans just north of London, had a significant impact on his community where he delivered milk jugs for nearly 50 years. The town residents viewed him as more than just a milkman. To them, he was a mentor, social worker, and unofficial security guard who they heavily relied on and admired, per GoodNewsNetwork.
“Mick has been an integral part of our community, working through the night in all weather to deliver day in, day out to our doorsteps,” Kate Crick, a resident of the area where Tutton used to make his deliveries, told GoodNewsNetwork. “But he was so much more than our milkman. He looked out for people, especially the elderly, and became a family friend to many of us. Our children have grown up knowing and loving him, and our dogs too.”
The milkman was known for carrying around treats for dogs, and the neighborhood children always looked forward to him bringing them little treats on their birthdays.
“They’ve all become friends, really,” Tutton told SWNS News of his customers. “Sometimes I used to forget that I was there to deliver their milk.”
Unfortunately, the 65-year-old was forced to retire early after his decades-old electric milk truck broke down beyond repair.
Since Tutton would not receive his pension for a year after his early retirement, the community rallied together to host a fundraising event at their local pub to raise donations to hold him over until then.
They were all pleasantly surprised by the turnout of the event and the money they raised for him.
Luckily, the fundraiser was a success and the community raised $20,000.
In total, the event accumulated £15,280, which is around 20,000 USD. Additionally, over 100 residents have signed an online card to wish Tutton a happy retirement.
“When we started this collection, we couldn’t have dreamed we would raise more than £15,000 for our dear friend Mick,” Crick told GoodNewsNetwork. “The huge size of the collection is a testament to the love and regard in which Mick was held by the residents of the streets he served.”
Tutton has said that he has some “very fond memories” of serving as a milkman for 47 years, and has met “so many lovely, lovely people.” “I was able to do so many different charity events sponsored literally, 99% by my close customers,” he shared.
Tutton’s career began when he was just 16 years old, as he worked alongside his father, who was also a milkman for many years. By the time he retired, Tutton was delivering milk to 600 homes per week.
“I’m grateful he made me do it, as I’ve had a wonderful career, meeting a community full of wonderful people,” Tutton added to SWNS News.
Although his time as the community milkman has come to an end, Tutton explained he is looking forward to his future with the retirement funds raised by his community. He and his wife plan on using the money to help pay off their rent and possibly traveling to Brazil to visit their daughter’s husband’s family.
“At the moment I’m enjoying having the free time to spend with my granddaughter Florence, but it goes without saying I’m already missing seeing everyone every day,” Tutton revealed.
Milkmen are integral parts of many communities, especially for busy families who do not have the time to run to the store to pick up milk. It is essential that we acknowledge their hard work, thank them, and support them even after their delivery days have come to an end.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.