The charity that runs one of Bristol’s most famous open spaces has appealed for help from the public after vandals attacked it.
Police are investigating who caused the damage, which happened around the Underwood Centre at the Arnos Vale Cemetery.
The centre is used as a forest school, and for community events, weddings and funerals at the cemetery, which is one of the largest open spaces in south Bristol.
Those in charge of the cemetery said they were ‘devastated’ to discover the damage which happened overnight and was found on Wednesday morning (May 6).
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Fencing was torn down and destroyed, and a kiln used to make charcoal was broken.
The cemetery team, which receives no formal funding from the council to keep the cemeteries open and accessible, appealed for donations to help them make repairs.
The cemetery has already been hit by the coronavirus pandemic - it’s closed to the public and donations and income has dropped, costing them around £100,000 for the three months so far, it said.
“Last night, the area around our beautiful Underwood Centre was vandalised again,” said a spokesperson.
“Our small team are working incredibly hard to look after the site during these challenging times and we were devastated to find this damage.
“We have reported the incident to the police and would appreciate your help. If you know anything about this criminal damage or any information about vandalism at Arnos Vale please call the police on 101,” she added.
“If you are able to donate we would be hugely grateful. Please text ARNOS to 70085 to donate £5. This costs £5 plus a std rate message. Or go to our Support Us page on our website https://arnosvale.org.uk/support/ “
