Northampton charity left 'heartbroken' following break-in that resulted in thousands of pounds of damage
A Northampton charity, which supports vulnerable families with young children, was broken into, leaving staff “heartbroken” and dealing with thousands of pounds of damage.
The Community Annex at The Spring Charity in Spring Lane was broken into at around 6am on Saturday January 3.
According to a charity spokesperson, it will cost approximately £10,000 to replace doors, which were damaged during the incident, and install shutters.
Staff at the charity are now dealing with the aftermath and clearing up the damage, which means they are losing valuable time that would usually be spent helping families. The spokesperson added the break-in has been “heartbreaking”.
The charity has set up an online fundraiser in a bid to help them recover and get back to focussing on the families who rely on them.
The fundraiser reads: “Thankfully no one was hurt, but the damage and disruption have been really upsetting. Today, our staff are spending the day dealing with the aftermath — clearing up, securing the space, and managing what comes next — time that would normally be spent supporting local children and families.
"Although we are insured, this situation means time and resources are being taken away from the support we provide to families in our community.
"We’ve set up a GoFundMe to help us recover and get back to focusing fully on the families who rely on us. Any support, whether through a donation or simply sharing this page, would mean so much.”
Northamptonshire Police is appealing for witnesses to the incident.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “The offender/s caused damage to both external and internal doors, smashing glass panels, but it is not believed anything was stolen.
“Officers would like to hear from anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity near to the charity in Spring Lane at the relevant time, or who may have CCTV, doorbell of dash-cam footage from the area which could assist the investigation.”
Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting incident number: 26000004001.
Information can also be submitted online at www.northants.police.uk/RO and crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information.