Civil servants receive £2,000 juggling lessons on away day at taxpayers’ expense

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Department for Transport under fire over £18,000 spending amid cost of living crisis, can reveal



Boris Johnson is facing a fresh “cost of living” row after it emerged that taxpayers’ money has been spent giving civil servants lessons in how to juggle.

Staff at the Department for Transport were taught the circus skills as part of a series of “away days” last winter that cost more than £18,000, i can reveal.

At one event, those present were also taught how to build a “mini Mexican railway”, using plastic tubes to guide a ball from across a room.

The two activities were part of an “ice-breaking and team-building” event laid on by Zing Events, a company charging more than £2,000 for the gathering of 38 DfT staff last December.

The 20-minute “group juggling” session is listed on Zing Events’ website, which explains that “as a whole team you will get taught how to juggle as one team passing the juggling ball onto the next person while receiving a juggling ball from your other side.”

Another 20-minute “Mini-Mexican Railway” session states: “Pairs must construct a contraption that can carry a ball from one end of the room to the other.”

A DfT spokesperson said: “We value our staff, and that of our various agencies, and training days help develop new skills and build high-performing teams.”

The Government points out that many employers hire outside firms to run specialist training and team building events to help “enhance cohesion” among employees.

However, with millions facing soaring energy and food bills and a new £12bn tax rise since April, shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh was scathing at the spending.

“As taxpayers count the cost of fifteen Tory tax rises and passengers face brutal fare hikes, ministers have been splashing public cash on ludicrous activities.”

“Instead of wasting taxpayers’ cash on absurd days out, the Transport Secretary could try doing his job and tackle the soaring cost of travel facing millions. It’s always the public who pick up the tab for Tory waste. Labour would treat every pound of taxpayer money with the respect it deserves.”

The DfT spent £2,074 on the juggling away-day on December 1. It paid a further £2,850 and £2,538 in separate payments to a company listed as “Servanimals” for another “workshop” on November 23.