Staff and families left terrified after vandals target Mansfield charity

Staff working at a charity supporting families battling addiction have launched a fundraising appeal after vandals rammed their front door terrifying everyone inside.

The charity Hetty’s, based at Burnaby House on Church Street in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, is now desperately trying to raise the £3,500 needed to repair the door and install CCTV to prevent future incidents of this nature.

Pictured are Debbie Knowles (chief exec) and Tracey Crosby (operations lead) from Hetty's Charity, in their new Mansfield Woodhouse HQ. Founded in 1996 by a group of mums who were all experiencing the pain and heartbreak of a loved one’s addiction.

placeholder image — Pictured are Debbie Knowles (chief exec) and Tracey Crosby (operations lead) from Hetty's Charity, in their new Mansfield Woodhouse HQ. Founded in 1996 by a group of mums who were all experiencing the pain and heartbreak of a loved one’s addiction.

The attack on the Grade II listed building saw a gang ram the front door of the building leaving families and staff inside terrified before felling the scene.

Hetty's operations manager Tracey Crosby who was near the door when the incident happened on October 28 said: “The noise was just incredible it was so loud that it made me think it definitely wasn’t someone’s foot, it must have been an instrument of some sort. It cracked the door all the way through and has weakened other panels.

The door at Hetty's in Burnaby House, Church Street, Mansfield Woodhouse

"The damage and the cost involved in sorting it is absolutely catastrophic but on top of that we had family members in the building that are already feeling vulnerable and going through trauma, counsellors, a group session taking place so it was really a frightening experience.

"Staff are already overworked and overwhelmed and we are working across the whole of Nottinghamshire to support 300 families each month so we want to be raising money to support the work we do and be in a position to help more people not to be repairing damage caused by vandals, it really is devastating.

"This extra money could have been spent on IT equipment, more one to one sessions, putting on extra groups, supporting more families so it really is heartbreaking for us.”

Staff and volunteers are now urging residents to donate, share the appeal and come forward with information about the incident.

The damage created by vandals at Hetty's Burnaby House, Church Street, Mansfield Woodhouse

Tracey added: “Our community has always shown incredible heart and unity, and now’s the time to come together once again.

"We appreciate we are going through difficult economic times so even if people can’t donate money we would appreciate people sharing the appeal, anyone who can volunteer their time or any tradespeople that are willing to help would all be greatly appreciated.”

The organisation supports local families affected by substance misuse and was founded in 1996 by a group of mums experiencing the loss of a loved one from addiction.

The charity has since grown to support around 300 families per month across Nottinghamshire.

So far, the appeal has raised £950 of its £3,500 target.

A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: “We are currently investigating reports relating to a door being damaged, at Burnaby House in Church Street, Mansfield Woodhouse.

“The criminal damage was reported to the police around 7pm on Tuesday 28 October.

“We appreciate the local upset this incident has caused and are determined to track down whoever was responsible.

“We’d ask anyone with any information to call the police on 101, quoting incident 580 of 28 October, or report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

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