Grantham charity shop broken into

Staff at St Barnabas Hospice were devastated to learn that yesterday afternoon, their Grantham charity shop in Welby Streetwas broken into.

Damage was caused to the door and till, which was thankfully empty. However the culprit did manage to find an old collection box which we don’t believe had much money inside.

Caroline Peach, Head of Retail at St Barnabas Hospice, said, “We feel thankful that we were able to clear our shops of valuables when we closed them for this period of isolation.

“The police have managed to secure someone in custody who they believe may be linked to the crime, and I would like to say a huge thank you to the residents of the flat above the shop, who were able to alert the police quickly when the break-in occurred.

“A break-in to one of our shops is devastating at any time, but in the current situation, with charities struggling with a loss of income, it is particularly upsetting. There has been so much kindness shown to the Hospice over the past few weeks and it breaks my heart to know that there are people out there targeting organisations like ours, who just want to do good in the community.

“We are facing losses of £1 million over the next three months due to closed charity shops and cancelled fundraising activities. This mindless act of vandalism puts added pressure on our staff and finances as we work to secure the shop again.

“Above all, our nurses are still continuing to care for patients and families throughout this crisis. If you are able to support with a donation, however great or small, it would mean the world to us after such a difficult piece of news.”

www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/crisis