To try and help fund the ongoing delivery of its services in the community, the charity recently opened its first ever charity shop, on Penny’s Walk in Ferndown. But this first venture into the world of charity shops is currently being spoiled and marred by the unwanted attention of a particularly nasty breed of individuals – shop lifters!
To try and help fund the ongoing delivery of its services in the community, the charity recently opened its first ever charity shop, on Penny’s Walk in Ferndown. But this first venture into the world of charity shops is currently being spoiled and marred by the unwanted attention of a particularly nasty breed of individuals – shop lifters!
The thieves are not only targeting the general stock of the shop but are also stealing from the shop’s mini Resource Centre too. In the Resource Centre area of the shop specialist items of equipment and aids to daily living for blind and partially sighted people are on display to act as an entry point for people in the Ferndown area who can benefit from this service.
As a consequence the charity has reluctantly decided that, for now at least and until the shop lifting can be curbed, this service has to be withdrawn.
Jonathan Holyhead, CEO of the Dorset Blind Association said, “I wouldn’t have though that people could stoop so low. Any shop lifting is criminal and wrong, period, but to take from charity shops beggar’s belief.” He went on to say, “I am especially gutted that the thieves have forced us to suspend the equipment service. In the short time the shop has been open this has proved to be extremely popular and valuable to people in the Ferndown area who suffer from serious sight loss. Having that equipment on open display so people could see and touch it was especially useful but people are now denied that service because of the callous, selfish and criminal actions of just a few morally bankrupt members of the community.”
The value of equipment stolen from the Resource Centre area of the shop is over £200 and with the value of the general stock which has also “walked” the charity has probably lost in the region of £500 just within the first 2 months of trading.
Jonathan said, “Dorset Blind Association is not a wealthy charity. We work incredibly hard to bring in the funding we need each year and we always make sure we spend our money carefully and wisely to make it stretch as far as possible. That £500 would have paid to keep both our mobile equipment and advice service vehicles on the road for 5 weeks, so the thieves aren’t just robbing our shop, they are directly robbing the blind and partially sighted people in Dorset who will miss services that money would have funded.”
The charity are now reluctantly considering installation of CCTV in the shop to try and deter the shop lifters and help to identify culprits who can then be reported to the Police. They are also working to fund the purchase of glass fronted, closed cabinets to display the equipment. Jonathan said, “This will all cost money which otherwise could be spent on what the Dorset Blind Association does best – providing really useful help and support services for people in Dorset who sadly suffer from serious sight loss. I really wish I didn’t have to spend our hard earned cash this way, but I feel I have no choice.”
For more information please contact Jonathan Holyhead on 01202 712861 or email jonathan@dorsetblind.org.uk