A charity hit by thieves has been ‘overwhelmed’ by community generosity to replace items stolen during a break-in at holiday caravans.
Ruddi’s Retreat was given the devastating news last week when the charity’s founder Ali Jones went to the East Yorkshire site to open up their two caravans for the summer season at Haven’s Primrose Valley site.
The Huddersfield-based charity lets the caravans out for free to families with seriously or terminally ill children who are in desperate need of a break.
Ali found that two windows had been broken and that TVs and Playstations had been stolen from both caravans. Damage was estimated at £1,000.
Now after reading about the break-in on the Examiner’s facebook page, Marsden resident Zoe Parker, 38, felt compelled to lend a hand.
Mum-of-three Zoe said: “I’ve never even met Ali or done anything for the charity before but I follow the Examiner on facebook and was so shocked when I saw the news.
“I’ve got three children and I just thought, gosh, she works so hard for the charity and it’s just awful that someone just went in and stole and smashed things.
“At first I was going to do a table top sale outside my house as I live opposite the New Inn on Manchester Road in Marsden but now the pub has agreed for me to hold it outside the pub, which is fantastic.
“I am going to sell my own things for the charity and people have already said they will bring things down to sell too.
“If I can raise some money to replace just one single item stolen I will be happy.”
A Huddersfield firm has also offered help to the charity in the wake of the break-in.
The charity was set up by Ali following the cancer battle of her son, Ruddi Waterworth-Jones who recently got a five-year all clear from doctors.
Ali added: “We’ve just been overwhelmed. We even had a nine-year-old boy come to my house with his dad and give me his playstation for a caravan.
“People have been brilliant”.
The table top sale will be held at the New Inn, Manchester Road, Marsden on Saturday (March 28) from 10am to 4pm.
