'Thank you for all your hard work': Chairman of volunteer group overjoyed at new fridge gifted by grateful community

As chairman of the Friends of Victoria Park group, Tony Barratt gives up his spare time twice a day to litter pick and speaks to Northampton Borough Council on behalf of his community around Byfield Road, off Weedon Road.

He said: "Some friends and I set up Friends of Victoria Park five years ago to do some good in the community.

"We can only do little things at a time but we are getting there. It's in a much better state than when we started out."

He recently led a successful appeal to build a new children's play area on the park and had a basketball area jet washed clean.

But when Tony's fridge broke down last week, he humbly asked his Facebook friends if anyone had a second-hand one they could sell him.

No one replied. Then, five days later, Tony received a call from a retailer who said his delivery would be there in an hour.

Tony said: "I told them, 'hang on a minute, I haven't ordered anything'. But they showed up all the same and dropped off a brand new fridge.

"It came with a note. It said: 'Thank you for all your hard work on Victoria Park.' It didn't say who it was from.

"I was over the moon. There are some really lovely people out there somewhere.

"It's a beautiful fridge. I can buy stuff again. All the week before I had to keep my milk in an ice bucket.

"I don't think anyone's ever done something like that for me before. I want to say thank you to whoever made this happen. It's very rewarding to know Friends of Victoria Park are recognised in the community."