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bqlive.co.uk
While serving a sentence for fraud, Tony Hilton used his time in prison to develop Gone for Good, an app that connects charity shops to donations, writes Maria McGeoghan
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hen Tony Hilton went “on his holidays”, it was at “Her Majesty’s Pleasure”. Jailed for six years for fraud and unwittingly renting houses that were being used for cannabis farms, Hilton served three years behind bars. And the story of how he coped, learned, and came up with a cracking business idea while serving his time sounds like a cross between Porridge and the Shawshank Redemption. With a combination of brains, charm and a determination that he wouldn’t waste this unexpected experience, he has emerged with a passion to give something back to society. He is the co-founder of Gone for Good, an
app-based business that makes giving to charity shops easier than ever. The spark for the idea came while working in a charity warehouse while serving out his final year at Kirkham Open Prison. He soon realised the whole process needed to be streamlined and the lightbulb flashed on. But back to where it all started – with the clanging of a cell door. “I’ll never trust a barrister again,” says Hilton, 48, who hails from Worsley, just outside Manchester. “I spent money that wasn’t mine, which was wrong, the cannabis farms were just the nail in the coffin. “I was in the process of paying the money
back and it took two years before coming to court. I was told that I might get two to three years and then when they said six I couldn’t believe it. “I just had to brace myself and get on with it. I split it in to year-long chunks and I knew the last year would be in an open prison. I was in prison for 1,096 nights.” As a novice to prison life he had to learn quickly, and a lucky encounter when he was being booked in on his first day helped him considerably. “This bloke came up to me and asked if I smoked – I didn’t,” says Hilton, who is upbeat and cheerful and clearly relishes telling his story.