26 March 2015

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

A crew supplied by the Town Council helped a homeless family take their salvaged possessions into storage at Martells yesterday after a family friend alerted the Council to their plight.

The family – a mother, grandmother, three children and their pet dog Alfie – were all asleep at their Lingfield Road home when the their tumble-dryer caught fire in the early hours of the morning two weeks ago. They escaped with their lives, thanks to a smoke alarm, but their ground floor possessions were all destroyed in the blaze.
The family, which includes a disabled child, was already on a financial knife-edge, and this latest blow has made their lives almost impossible, said a family friend, Amanda Clark.

An appeal has raised almost £1,000 for the family, but yesterday Amanda contacted the Council needing some practical help to clear what could be saved from the family’s rented property and get it into storage at Martells, who have offered to keep it free for a month.

A woman in Ashurst Wood has also offered storage, and Purple Pets at Newchapel has offered to equip Alfie, with a new bed, food, bowls and toys.

*To make a donation go to http://www.gofundme.com/o315mo