Caring readers come to aid of vandal-hit nursery
KIND-HEARTED readers have overwhelmed nursery staff with their generosity.
From 7am yesterday morning offers of support for Bellrock Nursery began flooding in.
The response came to the Evening Times call to action after we told how the Cranhill nursery school had been cruelly vandalised.
And now one anonymous donor has even given £500 to the cause.
Thugs broke in it, ransacked play spaces – and stole money intended for a summer trip.
But now around £900 has been pledged by those who want to make up for the damage caused by thugs.
Nursery headteacher Sonya Morrison said: “We are overwhelmed by the amount of response from the community.
“Some of the parents had come in and handed in some money and we were already overwhelmed by that.
“But to learn that there are so many other people who care after something like this has happened to us is just so nice.
“We have lots of things planned now for the children and this money will go to pay for those.
“On behalf of our whole staff team, thank you very much.”
The Evening Times told yesterday how the nursery has been broken into twice already this year.
The first time was at Easter, when staff money was stolen and the main school office was ransacked.
Then, last week, vandals smashed through a door into the office, wrecked children’s playrooms.
The amount of smashed glass meant the nursery had to close while Cordia staff came in to do a deep clean.
Ms Morrison said that, in her five years at the nursery, the building has been broken into five times and the playground has been repeatedly vandalised. Some £150 for summer activities was stolen from the toy fund and £30 from the polo shirt fund.
Lauren Mcelhinney, who has a niece at the nursery, set up a Just Giving page, which has raised more than £600 at time of going to press.
She said: “My niece goes here and I’m disgusted that people have done to this, so I would like to help in any way possible.
“I am amazed to have raised so much money in just one day and a huge thanks to the anonymous donor who gave £500.”
On JustGiving, the anonymous donor writes: “I was born and raised in Cranhill but left more than 30 years ago.
“Great memories of growing up there, sad to hear of the troubles the nursery has been having.”
An email came in from Faifley Church of Scotland Sunday School, which wanted to give £100 from the children’s weekly givings.
David Ross of David Ross Independent Funeral Directors got in touch to say he would like to donate money to the children to help replace the funds that were taken.
Others emailed the Evening Times to offer donations ranging from £5 to £50 – showing just how kind our readers are.
Bellrock is just one of a number of education facilities around the city that have faced the impact of vandalism.
A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “It’s heartening to hear about the lovely offers of help for the nursery following the robberies and spate of vandalism incidents.
“The children, families and the staff are overwhelmed by the acts of kindness.”
To donate see www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/ lauren-mcelhinney