By Lisa Ramsden
Thousands of pounds have poured in to help repair a charity shop badly damaged when trouble flared in Kilkeel last week.
An online appeal (www.justgiving.com/campaign/charity shop) has so far raised over £4,600 for the New Beginnings charity shop, which bore the brunt of the damage when an out-of-control and burning car careered into the front of its premises last Tuesday night.
Unrest broke out in the town around 9pm, shortly after a peaceful gathering at which prayers were offered for a man stabbed in north Belfast the previous night. The trouble prompted widespread criticism from the wider community and elected representatives alike.
Videos and images taken during the disorder show a vehicle—which police say was neither hijacked nor stolen—abandoned close to the crossroads in the centre of the town and then set alight, with onlookers, some of whom were in dark clothing and had their faces covered, in the vicinity. This footage was shared widely on social media.
A short time later the vehicle could be seen careering downhill towards The Square, crashing into the front of the charity shop, with the front of the premises starting to burn. Firefighters from the local station, supported by a crew from Warrenpoint, extinguished the blaze and prevented it from taking hold of the charity shop and adjoining business premises.
As the incident unfolded, members of the charity’s committee were meeting elsewhere in the town. The scenes they were greeted with were, as they later admitted, heartbreaking. New Beginnings, since being established by Kilkeel man Roger Annett many years ago, supports underprivileged and orphaned children in Uganda, and has strong support from across the Mourne community.
While the front of the shop sustained significant damage, the team of volunteers, despite the shock, worked around the clock to ensure the shop reopened to customers on Thursday morning.
Launching its fundraising campaign, the charity acknowledged it has been “a challenging time”. In a social media post shared on Wednesday night, a representative thanked the fire crews who responded, and the public for its support in the aftermath.
“We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped and supported us following the damage caused to our charity shop during the recent protest. We have been overwhelmed by the kindness of our volunteers, supporters and local community who have given their time, assistance, and encouragement to help us get back on our feet.”
