“PEOPLE are much more important than things.”
That’s the verdict of Karen Butler of Inspire after hearing that for the second time in a matter of months the big hearted community project’s shed had once again been stolen.
“I got the news as we were trying to work out the logistics of cooking 80 meals on Christmas Eve for delivery on Christmas Day for isolated people,” said Karen, who is based at Winyates Craft Centre.
“Obviously it’s not good, but it’s a plastic shed.
“I’m sad for Councillor Pattie Hill, who funded the replacement after our last one was stolen, but in the overall scheme of things, I’m fine about it.
“We’ve got a pretty good idea of who took it and why, but to be honest we won’t let it get in our way.”
The shed, like its predecessor, was used for storing wheelchair ramps and chairs.
Those items were tossed aside by the perpetrators who are believed to have fled over the wall with the shed.
“It was pretty well weighed down so they must have taken their time over it,” said Karen.
“Luckily we now have a unit where we can store things, so we won’t be getting a replacement.”
There’s also the pressing matter of preparing Christmas dinner for a host of people.
“We’re part of Redditch East Stronger Together (REST) and work with Disability Support Project and we were just doing a small number of meals for people who’d been referred to us when Liz Williams from REST got in touch and said if you can do some more they’d fund it.
“So we’ll cook about 80 meals on Christmas Eve and then Liz has arranged for a small army of volunteers to to deliver them on Christmas Day.
“So, with the shed being stolen, it’s not that I don’t value things, just that I value people above all that.”
Inspire has played a key role in the community and has delivered hundreds of meals to vulnerable people shielding during lockdown.
It also runs a refill shop and in the run up to Christmas organised a gifting table where people could donate toys for others to give as presents this Christmas.
