COMMENT: Town has reacted in truly generous fashion toward Gosport charity break-in victims

It's a touching sight to see so many people putting their hands in their pockets to help out a charity burgled by callous thieves.

More than £1,000 has been raised to support the family-run group at Jacob’s Well Care Centre in Gosport since it was ransacked between Thursday night and Friday morning.

At a time when it’s too often said people are only out for themselves, it’s great to see that people in Gosport truly love the charity, which has been run for 26 years by husband and wife duo Stuart and Angela Pottinger.

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Saturday morning saw their daughter, charity worker Lorraine, clear up the shattered glass. Later that day her daughter Cherish put up a plea on a crowdfunding website to help support the charity in its time of need.

And the townspeople have responded in true generous fashion. It goes to show that when all is said and done, people do band together in the face of adversity.

Of course, it remains a bittersweet pill to swallow as such generosity would not be needed without the cruel actions of two people who targeted the office at Toronto Place.

Those responsible should feel the full force of the British criminal justice system.

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Let’s hope they’ll be on the wrong side of a cell door at Portsmouth Central police station before the week is out.

But while many will share that view, it’s remarkable that Lorraine, even after having to pick up the pieces over the weekend, is thinking about how best to help the needy.

Of the burglars she says: ‘They could have come to us and we’d have 100 per cent helped without any questions.’

It’s clear, while patently upset, the family behind one of Gosport’s hidden gems will not let the break-in stop them. They will go on to help more. This family has much to teach us all.

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