Heartless thieves have targeted a hospice for sick children and their families twice, leaving staff feeling vulnerable.
Vital gardening equipment - used to maintain a garden for children with life shortening illnesses and their families to spend time in - was stolen from Robin House hospice in Balloch during two separate raids.
The hospice provides palliative care and support for children and their relatives.
The thefts have left Nicky Bridges, associate outreach director for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) who run the facility, pleading for anyone with information to come forward. She said: “If anybody knows anything then please either hand the equipment back or notify the police.
“There may be people in the community who have bought equipment without knowing where it has come from.
“Our staff feel vulnerable because there are people prowling around the garden. We should be able to lock our equipment up and know that it’s safe.
“It’s hugely, hugely frustrating.
“Our gardener Maggie and our volunteers work tirelessly to keep the garden under control.
“The gardens are a peaceful, tranquil place for people to enjoy. We need these pieces of equipment to keep the gardens clean and tidy.”
Gardener Maggie Brown added: “We in the gardening team work very hard to make the gardens a place of joy, beauty and tranquility for our children and their families to make memories in.
“To think that someone would steal the equipment we need to do this is beyond belief.”
Thieves first struck overnight between September 22 and September 23, before a second incident between October 9 and 10, with an industrial leaf blower, hedge trimmer and grass strimmer all stolen.
And Nicky has warned that purchasing replacements will come at the cost of supporting terminally ill children and their families.
She continued: “It means that we now need to purchase these pieces of equipment again, which diverts our fundraising - which should be for the children and their families - to purchasing these pieces of vital equipment for the garden.
“It takes up time for staff who should be dedicating it to caring for children and families. We’re now having to contact police and make sure our buildings are even more secure.
“We’ve had to purchase improved CCTV cameras. That’s a cost to the charity.
“We’ve also now got vehicles parked blocking the containers so nobody can get into them, which is far from ideal.
“It’s really disappointing.
“People may feel like they’ve only taken some gardening equipment, but that has then taken away pleasure for children and families who use our service.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Enquiries are ongoing into the theft of gardening equipment from a container at Robin House in Balloch.
“Two incidents have been reported, including overnight between September 22 and 23 and a second incident which happened over the weekend of October 9 and 10.
“Anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident 1304 of 11 October, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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