Children to rescue as theft hits charity

8:52am Thursday 4th September 2008

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children spent their summer holidays running a stall to replace money lost when a charity collecting box was stolen.

The five Haworth youngsters raised £503 for children's cancer charity Candlelighters after several weeks' work.

The money has been boosted by donations from local people who heard about the theft of the original box.

The children are Joe, Isaac and Verity Moore, of Rosslyn Grove, and Ffion and Nuala Carroll of Main Street. They scoured their bedrooms for toys and books they no longer wanted to sell on the stall.

The Moores's grandmother, retired teacher Margaret Hamer, runs Hartley's bookshop at the top of Main Street.

For several years she has raised money for Candlelighters, a charity which supports children with terminal cancer.

The collecting box has been in the shop for several years in memory of Mrs Hamer's grandson, Henry, who died when he was seven.

The box - which contains up to £80 when it is full - was stolen last December by a Keighley heroin addict.

Mrs Hamer was grateful that many people donated money again when they heard about the theft of the box.

She said two anonymous people donated £80 and £20 while others gave as much as they could.

She said: "It's really restored my belief that there are a lot of good people out there.

"A lot of people went to a lot of effort to raise the money that was originally in the box."

Mrs Hamer is particularly proud of her own grandchildren and their friends who live across the road, where their mum runs dress shop Firth's. Mrs Hamer said: "The five of them have worked really hard, whenever it's been fine weather, in many days through the summer.

"They've had the benefit of tourists coming up Main Street." The five youngsters are aged from eight to 13.

Mrs Hamer and her family regularly carry out fundraising for Candlelighters, including selling about £1,000 of Candlelighters Christmas cards each year in her shop.