Break-in at Rotherham Hospice Donation centre causes significant damage to site
Rotherham Hospice’s Donation Centre at Amber Court Business Centre on Rawmarsh Road was broken into overnight between Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th July, causing significant damage to the site.
Intruders forced entry into the site and made off with a donation tin and electrical items. No significantly valuable items are kept on site, but the break-in caused damage to the building, which the hospice will now need to repair at its own cost. This is money that can no longer be invested where it belongs – supporting patients and their families.
The Donation Centre remains open as normal, and the hospice is keen to reassure supporters that the day-to-day work of receiving and processing their vital donations continues uninterrupted. All that is asked of anyone thinking of kindly donating items today is that they drop them off at the back of the building whilst investigations still take place by police at the damaged entrance.
Beyond the cost of the repairs, the break-in has taken an emotional toll on the staff and volunteers who work at the centre. Many go above and beyond because they believe in the hospice’s work, and arriving to find the premises broken into left them feeling shaken, denting the sense of safety within a workplace built on care and community trust.
“We are truly disappointed that this has happened to an organisation committed to helping the people of Rotherham,” said Mat Cottle-Shaw, Chief Executive of Rotherham Hospice. “This wasn’t simply a break-in at a commercial building, it targeted a charity that survives almost entirely on the goodwill of this community. Our staff and volunteers work tirelessly because they believe in what we do, and to arrive and find the centre broken into has left many of them shaken and angry. We are resilient, but events like this still affect our people, and it isn’t fair to them or the amazing work they do.”
The Donation Centre, based at Amber Court Business Centre, 2 Rawmarsh Road, Rotherham, S60 1RU, is where Rotherham Hospice receives, sorts and prepares donated goods for its charity shops, online sales and social enterprise cafés, as well as processing Gift Aid on behalf of generous donors. Every item donated helps fund the hospice’s specialist end of life and palliative care for adults across Rotherham, care that is provided entirely free of charge to patients and their families.
