Local insurance company, LV=, has given a donation to the Hospice to repair the charity’s furniture van after the Star published details of the theft.
LV= has donated £308.56 to cover the cost of repairs for the Hospice’s van, which transports donated furniture.
The furniture van was parked outside the Hospice when thieves stole the Catalytic Converter from it at the end of April. Security has since been stepped up.
An employee at LV=, Matt Girt, suggested the company come forward to meet the repair costs after reading about the theft in the Star.
Peter Horton, LV= Operations Director GI said “The Hospice does great work in the local community and we were sad to learn that its vehicle had been targeted by vandals. As one of the larger employers in the area we are always looking for ways to support our local community and we are really pleased to be able to help the hospice with this donation.
“When Matt mentioned to us about the hospice’s van being damaged by vandals we were more than happy to be able to offer our help. This was clearly something that meant a lot to Matt and at LV= we encourage our staff to suggest local causes that they would like us to support.”
Jane Petit, Chief Executive of St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “The £300 it would have cost us to repair the van is roughly the equivalent of funding a Hospice nurse for a day so we are immensely grateful to Liverpool Victoria for their kind and generous donation.”
St Elizabeth Hospice sells good quality donated furniture from its shops, in Foxhall Road, Ipswich, Great Eastern Square, Felixstowe and Stowmarket. Supporters can donate their furniture by calling 0845 259 0319 to arrange collection and if the item is suitable, the furniture van drivers will collect six days a week for free.
The Hospice looks after around 2,000 local people in East Suffolk and South Norfolk every year and the funds raised through donations and its shops are vital to continue running its services.
LV= offers a wide range of financial services including insurance, investment and retirement products. They have offices across the country, including Ipswich.
Employees from the Ipswich office of LV= are keen supporters of the Hospice, having previously taken part in the Hospice’s annual Midnight Walk and next year two employees are taking on a Corporate Challenge Iceland, trekking across Iceland to raise funds for the Hospice.
If you have any details relating to the theft, please contact Suffolk Police on 101, quoting crime reference IE/13/1243.