Donna's Dream House charity boss in Blackpool overwhelmed by support after costly break-in
“I’m so grateful for the work that has been done - thankyou doesn’t begin to cover it”
The founder of a Blackpool children’s charity which suffered a traumatic and costly break-in has thanked volunteers and firms who have carried out repair works free of charge.
Len Curtis, who set up Donna’s Dream House with wife Barbara in tribute to their late daughter, says the destructive raid on the Chapel Street base a week ago caused thousands of pounds of damage.
He says it brought back distressing memories of an arson incident which wrecked the building around 15 years ago.
But he says the kindness of volunteers and businesses has been deeply moving, especially as the charity was set up in the name of daughter Donna, who was just 20 when she died from a brain tumour in 1996.
The non-profit charity provides free holiday experiences for terminally ill children and teenagers and is well known in Blackpool for supporting families in need.
What Len says
Len said today: “I’m so grateful for the work that has been done - if you put a value on it, it would work out to be around £10,000. Thankyou doesn’t begin to cover it.
“The intruder didn’t even steal anything - they just wrecked the place, kicked in doors, damaged pipes and covered areas in the creasort which basically wrecked things.
“It has been an awful experience and brought back all the trauma of when we had an arson attack
“We set up Donna’s Dream House as a way of coping when we lost Donna so anything that is done to help the charity makes me think of our daughter and it really moves me.”
A number of firms have stepped in to help, including skip hire firm Pete Marquis, builders’ merchants MKM Blackpool and Windows Direct, who fitted new security doors. Nomad Security staff helped tidy up the site.
Len added: "People have asked why we don’t claim the insurance, but the premiums would end up costing us thousands of pounds. We just can’t afford it.”
He said the distinctive yellow building is currently playing host to a family from Belfast but he was trying to ensure the repair work did not interfere with their special holiday.
Len said some electrical work still needed to be done and the base would not be fully repaired yet for some time.
Anyone able to help in any way is asked to message the Donna’s Dream House Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/officialdonnasdreamhouse )or contact the charity directly on (01253) 752222 or by email at [email protected]
No one has so far been arrested in connection with the incident.