KIND-HEARTED Councillor Pattie Hill has stepped in to buy a new shed for local charity Inspire CIC.
Staff at Inspire were left devastated on Monday morning when they arrived at their Winyates Craft Centre base to discover the contents of their shed strewn all over the path and the shed itself gone.
The charity plays a key role in the local community, helping people right across the borough.
During the pandemic it has also delivered hundreds of meals to vulnerable people shielding in the lockdown.
When she heard what had happened Coun Hill, who is Labour borough councillor for Batchley and Brockhill and represents Arrow Valley West at County Hall, leapt into action.
“I found what had happened to be quite disgusting and I thought, let’s get another one quick,” said Coun Hill, who will be paying for the shed through her county divisional funds.
“I know Winyates is outside my ‘area’ in Redditch but there are so many residents who I represent who have been helped by Inspire and who go there that I felt I just had to help.
“I still want to know what happened to the original shed though and who took it. Someone has to know.”
The grey plastic shed was used to store wheelchair ramps and chairs for the vulnerable people who use Inspire.
Manager Karen Butler had arrived on Monday morning to discover these scattered over the ground and the shed gone.
“Pattie came down and said ‘right, we’re going to get you a new shed’,” said Karen.
“I think she’s amazing, but Pattie’s always amazing. She’s supported us many times in the past but we never expected this.
“We had received other offers of help, which was wonderful, but I was reluctant to start a Just Giving page.
“Then Pattie came in and just said, ‘we’re ordering it’.”
