EVERYBODY needs good neighbours, or so the song says, and staff at Sainsbury’s proved to be just that when they came to the rescue with a generous cheque after a nearby charity shop fell foul of thieves.
A break-in at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) shop, in Queensway, in September saw more than £200 taken from the safe, leaving staff and volunteers devastated.
When word reach Sainsbury’s manager Jason Howell, he and his team organised quizzes and a Christmas cake decorating contest to raise money – and also applied for cash from the company’s Community Grants scheme.
On Thursday (December 22), Jason and staff members Nicky Passmore and Jean Brockwell, surprised BHF manager Jane Slee with a cheque for £200 – plus a couple of boxes of chocolates to celebrate the festive season.
Jason said: “The break-in must have hit them very hard and it’s probably still bothering them. We thought it would be great to help them out, especially at this time of year.
“Our store is at the heart of the local community and it is important that we can do as much as we can to support it. When we heard about the British Heart Foundation we were really pleased to be able to help out.”
Delighted Jane said: “It was a real shock when the break-in happened – they broke into the safe and they took everything that was in there, about £240. I can’t thank Sainsburys enough for all their hard work. I’m overwhelmed to think that people care enough to do this kind of thing.”