A Welwyn Garden City hospice estimates it has lost thousands of pounds worth of charity shop stock after a flood damaged their warehouse overnight.
The charity shops fundraising for Isabel Hospice use a warehouse on Bridge Road East in Welwyn Garden City.
Over the night of Friday, November 9 damage caused to water pipes in the disused space above caused the entire warehouse to flood.
Police were at the scene at 12.30 today (Saturday, November10) to find out how the space above was broken into and if the damage was a result of vandalism.
The community rallied after the hospice tweeted at 10.15am: “We urgently need help moving stock this morning.”
About 50 people showed up in response. “It’s been an amazing response actually,” said a spokesperson for Isabel Hospice.
The volunteers have managed to move all the stock, but the hospice shops urgently need items to replenish their store. “Much of our stock that was stored there has been damaged,” added the spokesperson. “It must be thousands of pounds worth of stock.”
The hospice is appealing for donations of all types of goods, including ladies, men’s and children’s clothes, bric a brac including puzzles, board games, crockery, CDs, Christmas decorations, and accessories such as handbags and hat and gloves.
They’re asking people to bring the items direct to shops as the warehouse floor is “completely flooded,” according to the spokesperson. “It’s not useable.”
The charity thanked all the people who have shown such community support so far, and now hope that peple will rally once again with donations. “It’s pretty bad,” said the spokesperson. “But when something like this goes wrong the amount of support we had to make it better shows some good can come of it. It’s true community spirit, really.”
Isabel Hospice cares for people with cancer and other life-limiting diseases.
“Isabel Hospice cared for 1,555 people last year,” said the spokesperson. “Shop income is vital to enable us to continue to do that.”
You can donate items to Isabel Hospice shops in Welwyn Garden City on Stonehills and Haldens, Hatfield town centre, Hatfield Galleria, Ware, Hoddesdon, Potters Bar, Cuffley, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Buntingford, Sawbridgeworth, and Bishop’s Stortford.
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