Van stolen from charity helping terminally ill children
Heartless thieves have stolen a newly-donated van crucial to a charity helping dying children, it emerged today.
The white Nissan Vanette, taken from Finglas in Dublin early yesterday morning, was gifted to the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation by the Army just last week.
The charity raises money through recycling projects to bankroll a team of nurses providing 24-hour care to terminally sick babies under the age of four years.
The Co Kildare-based foundation’s managing director Stephen Bebbington said if it is not returned they will have to shell out up to €10,000 to replace it - cash that would be spent on kids suffering serious mental and physical illness.
“This is absolutely crucial to our raising money and awareness of the charity,” he said.
“We are just about to launch a campaign where we will be collecting old mobile phones from 3,500 schools around the country.
“We then sell the phones to raise money while helping the school to get a green flag for their recycling efforts through the Green Schools Programme.”
Mr Bebbington explained a sign was to be painted on the van so it could be used to publicise the charity on its travels around the country.
The 2.5 litre engine van – with the registration plate, 95 D 41812 – was stolen after a charity volunteer parked it in Rathoath Road, Finglas.
Although it wasn’t obvious from the vehicle’s exterior who owned it there was a letter inside, signing it over from the Army at the Curragh Camp, Co Kildare to the foundation.
“It would have been clear it belonged to the charity looking at the letter,” said Mr Bebbington, pleading with the thieves to return it.
“Just give it back to us. We need this. If anybody has seen it, please get in touch with the charity or the Gardaí.
“The thousands of euro we would have to spend replacing this goes a long, long way looking after sick children,” he said.
Gardaí confirmed they are investigating the theft.
