Charity shop raided for 40p
THIEVES caused thousands of pounds of damage to a charity shop in raid and escaped with just 40p.
The Sue Ryder store in Heaton Moor, Stockport, which raises money for the dying, was broken into last Friday night.
The shop’s manager has labelled the crime ‘the lowest of the low’. And the charity have described its impact in an open letter to the perpetrators.
All the thieves managed to get away with was the donation tin on the till, which had just 40p left in it.
Now the charity shop will be left with a bill in the thousands to buy a new store front, after the wooden frame was damaged beyond repair.
Store manager Sophie Buc said: “It was literally pence, about 40p, because I’d already emptied it the night before. It’s just low, it’s the lowest of the low.
“It’s just violated us a little bit really, the cost to get it fixed is going to take away from the people we care for.”
Sophie discovered the damage at 8.45am on Saturday but the store was back open and running again by midday. The local community has rallied round to help.
Sophie added: “We’ve got insurance so it’ll go through that, people are donating extra bits of money which is always going to help. Everyone in the community has been really good. People in Heaton Moor are absolutely lovely.”
Sue Ryder is a charity that offers hospice care for people dying from conditions such as cancer or lung disease and support for their family and friends. They also offer help for people suffering from conditions such as Parkinson’s or Huntington’s that get worse over time.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed the burglary occurred between 6pm on Friday evening and sometime in the morning on Saturday. Enquiries are ongoing and the police will be speaking with the victim to see if there is any CCTV in the area.
The open letter from the shop to the thieves says: “We would like you to know that when you damaged and stole from our shop, you not only stole from us, but from the Stockport community too.
“You might not know that like most charity shops, the Sue Ryder Heaton Moor shop relies on the public’s donations. The people who so generously donate their old clothing and books could have sold on these items to make some extra cash for themselves, but choose to donate to Sue Ryder instead.
“We’d like you to know where the money you stole would have gone. The income we generate from our shops across the UK helps our staff and volunteers care for people with life-changing conditions like cancer, heart failure and lung disease in our seven hospices across the UK.
“Patients at our hospices might not have much time left and they, along with their families, need some support and a helping hand.
“In other words, the money that you stole could have helped many people live through some of the most difficult times of their lives.”