Money raised after break-in

DR Kershaw's charity shop volunteer Alison Taylor clears up

THE Oldham community has rallied behind Dr Kershaw's Hospice after one of its charity shops was broken into.

A fundraising page was set up within 24 hours of the incident, which saw thieves ransack the entire store.

More than £2,000 worth of damage was done in the overnight raid at Chadderton Hospice shop, in Middleton Road.

Hospice staff said that they felt "violated" by the act, which saw contents of a collection box stolen and drawers store-wide turned out on the floor.

But in a huge wave of support, residents have already donated more than £400 to the borough's only hospice through a JustGiving page.

Supporter Lucy Eley, niece to the Chadderton shop manager, set up the page and posted an appeal for residents to donate.

She said: "The windows were smashed and lots of items were stolen or trashed from Dr Kershaw's charity shop.

"My aunty Jane [Eley] and her team have worked so hard to get the shop up and running and looking fabulous.

"Unfortunately, due to some vile creatures, they have to find the money to replace the window, so let's help! Please donate anything that you can to help them."

Staff discovered the damage when they arrived for work at 8.30am on Wednesday and reported the incident to the police.

The Hospice was hit with £800 of general damage and lost £350 worth of donated goods, including a Playstation, as well as £43 from the collection box.

It will cost Dr Kershaw's just over £600 to replace the window and £300 for an alarm to be installed.

The shop is now open to residents, though it was closed all day yesterday while staff cleared the site and arranged for a new window to be fitted.

A post on the hospice Facebook page yesterday said: "Thank you for the overwhelming support and concern from everyone, we really appreciate it.

"The Chadderton shop is now cleared up and is open to the public.

"Jane and the team will not be beaten by this incident.

"They will keep moving forward.

"This shop has suffered over £2,000 worth of damage and loss of goods.

"However, kind supporter Lucy has set up a JustGiving page to help us raise some monies to replace the window."

To donate, you can visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lucy-eley.