Local Charity Appeals For Safe Storage

Shaw Trust’s Basingstoke Horticultural Project, which supports disadvantaged and disabled people back into work, is appealing for a local business or organisation to provide secure storage for its horticultural equipment after a targeted break-in at its Elizabeth Road premises on Monday night.

Over £17,000 worth of new equipment and machinery purchased to deliver Hampshire County Council’s Older Peoples Gardening Service and to support six previously unemployed young people on six month horticultural contracts was taken in what police believe to be a targeted burglary.

“This was not an opportunistic thief,” said John Sole, general manager community services, Shaw Trust.

“Our premises are fenced and the equipment is stored in metal storage units. The thieves knew the equipment was there and used boltcutters to enter the site, and then industrial cutting equipment to cut through the storage unit in order to take equipment ranging from hand- held hedge cutters and strimmers to an expensive wood chipper.”

Shaw Trust Horticulture is a social enterprise that provides training and employment to disabled and disadvantaged people in grounds maintenance and landscaping. Services are provided to customers a mix of public spaces such as parks and grounds or housing associations as well as domestic gardens.

Income generated is ploughed back into the enterprise to benefit more people. By contracting with Shaw Trust, organisations and individuals benefit from the best service but also help the charity to provide training and work opportunities for those disadvantaged in the workplace.

The loss of the new equipment has not only affected morale at the Project but also meant that Shaw Trust has had to delay the provision of garden maintenance to some of its regular customers.

One customer who was expecting her patio to be completed on Tuesday said “how can people do this to a charity which supports people with disabilities?”

“The people who train on the site were very upset and incidents such as this can have an adverse effect on those with mental health conditions.”

Temporary equipment has now been sourced, whilst the insurance company manages the claim process but John’s team needs to find alternative storage for the equipment as soon as possible:

“As a charity, our focus is on supporting people back into employment. We invest in products and equipment to enable us to do that and it would seem we now need to find a building or location with permanent lock-up facilities.
“We can’t risk losing our equipment again and I would be extremely grateful if any business or individual in the local area feels they can help with such a facility - even if just in the short-term - it would help tremendously.

“The team here is very upset by the theft and we want to get them back on track as quickly as possible.”

If you can provide secure storage, please contact John Sole on Tel: 01225 716300.

If you would like to donate, visit our website or visit our shop on Wote Street. Alternatively, call 01225 716358.

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Notes to editor:

In 2009-2010, Shaw Trust enabled 77,911 UK clients to improve their prospects through work, skills development and independent living services.

The charity supported nearly 21,000 disabled and disadvantaged people into jobs and delivered 136 life long learning services throughout the UK enabling more people in a broader geographical area to develop work related and independent living skills.

Shaw Trust is a national charity, formed in 1982, which helps people with disability or disadvantage to find work and achieve independence. We do this not only by delivering government programmes, but also through our own self-funded initiatives, and by campaigning to change attitudes at all levels. For more information, visit our website.

For further media information, please contact Kate Groves, Press Manager
Tel: 07595 214649.

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