NHS staff 'saddened' after hospital charity box smashed and donations stolen

16 April 2020, 14:39

The charity box was smashed and donations were stolen
The charity box was smashed and donations were stolen. Picture: York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Rachael Kennedy

By Rachael Kennedy

An NHS Trust has been left "shocked and saddened" after a charity box at a hospital in Scarborough was smashed and the donations were stolen.

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust posted a picture to Twitter of the vandalised box, which had just a couple of coins left inside it.

"We are shocked and saddened that the York Teaching Hospital Charity funding has been stolen, particularly at a time like this" the Trust wrote.

The York Teaching Hospital Charity also said it was "gutted" to find the money missing after the weekend, and said the matter had been reported to the police.

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Meanwhile, several people living in the area have since launched their own charity fundraisers to make up for the missing cash.

Beth Amy, an employee at the Trust, has raised £360 in just two days after starting a fundraiser on Facebook.

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Posted by Heidi Ridgewell on Wednesday, 15 April 2020

In a message to introduce the charity drive, she wrote: "I am absolutely disgusted to read about the donation box being broken into and money stolen from a charity that does so much and is so well needed at this awful time.

"I'd like to try and raise back as much money as possible..."

A further hundred pounds has been raised one person who agreed to shave his head in return for donations.

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Heidi Ridgewell shared photos of her son Charlie, showing his before and after shots of his new buzz cut.

"I'm quite happy looking like a spud," Charlie joked in the comments section.