Northampton charity launches urgent fundraiser after break-in
Centre left with broken toys and equipment meant for families
The Spring Charity, which supports local vulnerable families, has created a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover vital costs after a break-in resulted in numerous damages at its centre on Spring Lane in Northampton.
The incident happened on Saturday 3rd January at around 6am, Northamptonshire Police say that it’s not believed anything was stolen but damage was found at the property, including smashed glass panels and broken security doors. The charity says that children’s toys and other items were also found broken.
The charity supports parents with children under five who are experiencing hardship by offering a range of parenting classes and workshops at its centres. It also runs ‘Stay and Play’ drop-in sessions twice a week for parents and children. The team also helps women who have experienced homelessness or domestic abuse to build employability skills.
The charity says that since the incident, staff who would normally be supporting local children and parents have instead been spending their time clearing up and checking which equipment can still be safely used.
The Spring Charity's CEO, Tracey Hamilton, says the break-in caused damage to a cupboard storing supplies for emergency packs, meaning every item now needs to be checked.
She also says and the CCTV hard drive was pulled from the wall, but engineers have since managed to get the system working again and are retrieving footage for the police.
The charity hopes donations will help cover the costs of repairing the site and replacing damaged equipment. Hamilton said:
‘’We need to raise around £300 to replace baby toys and equipment affected by broken glass…but in terms of overall costs... we're now looking at about between £5,000 and £10,000 because we're going to have to install a new CCTV system, shutters on my bifold doors – the loan replacing glass in one of the doors is going to cost over £1,000.
‘’It's all money that we would be using to support families… I know we've got insurance, but we've got a big premium, we've got a big excess because we're only a small charity.’’
Police are appealing for witnesses following the incident, and urge anyone who saw suspicious activity near Spring Lane or who has CCTV, doorbell or dash cam footage is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 26000004001.
Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or submitted online via northants.police.uk