Locals pull together for Ben, 11
Last updated at 12:52, Thursday, 03 January 2013
A DEVASTATED young boy who had his Christmas present stolen by callous thieves has been given a generous donation from the community.
Deborah Vaughan says she has been amazed by members of the public who rallied round to pay for a new bike for her 11-year-old son Ben Crouch.
She said Ben was devastated when he found that his new orange and black Muddyfox BMX bike had been stolen from the family’s garden shed at Seven Acres overnight on Friday.
“He had only had it out twice since Christmas Day,” Deborah said. “There wasn’t a mark on it. He was absolutely devastated.”
The family contacted the police and Deborah also posted messages on various Facebook sites, including Freecycle in Whitehaven and Name it & Shame it in Whitehaven, asking people to look out for the bike and get in touch.
She said: “A guy from Harrington suggested on one of the sites that everyone chip in and buy a new bike for Ben, and local taxi driver Lynne Hicks said she’d collect the money.
“I was just blown away. People were just so lovely. People who don’t even know us were donating money.”
Lynne bought the bike at Halfords on Sunday and presented it to Ben on New Year’s Eve.
Deborah said: “A child expects presents on Christmas Day but he didn’t expect being given a new bike on Monday. It was priceless. It’s just incredible that people have given so generously.
“I don’t know how to say thank you. I’ve messaged everyone on the Facebook sites, but somehow it doesn’t seem enough.”
Lynne said: “It’s amazing to see how many people have donated. They don’t even know Ben or Deborah, but once they knew what had happened, they wanted to help.”
She said money has been collected which will go towards buying a stunt scooter for Ben, adding that members of the public, both locally and in the North East, have donated to the cause.
First published at 10:54, Thursday, 03 January 2013
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk
If the bike was replaced , am I the only one thinking the rest of the money going towards a stunt scooter is a bit wrong? After all it was only a bike stolen... Would it not be more thoughtful to donate this leftover money to a local charity??
Have your say
is seven acres in parton if so i may be able to locate his old bike as around hensingham there have been numerous bikes stolen so much so a lad i know told me how he stole a bike from parton maybe just about to fridays ago.
Posted by key123 on 10 January 2013 at 10:07