7:00am Friday 4th May 2007
By Mike Didymus
STAFF at Ludgershall Playgroup were distraught when their fundraising event on Sunday was marred by mean thieves.
They are in the process of raising £400,000 to construct a new building within the grounds of Castle Primary School.
At the moment the charitable playgroup is housed in a portable cabin in the school grounds but they are desperately in need of a better and more appropriate home for the children of Ludgershall.
Playgroup leader Lyn Ind says they have already raised £60,000 and will soon be working on lottery and grant applications when the plans for the school building are finalised.
In the meantime, however, they are continuing with their fundraising campaign and the Sunday event in Ludgershall Memorial Hall was their latest effort.
Lyn and her team worked from 10am throughout the day during the charity sale and were delighted to raise £330 towards the building kitty.
But during the day two mem- bers of staff had their purses stolen and another had a handbag stolen.
It was a bitter end to an otherwise highly successful day and it meant staff having to search the area in case the purses and handbag had been discarded.
They also had to inform the police and spend time cancelling credit cards.
Lyn said: "I'm just very upset about it.
"The thefts took place during the day from the hall so it must have happened while people were walking around the sale.
"I'm just so upset that someone could do that when we are doing our best for the children of Ludgershall.
"I just think that people should know there are people out there who could do this sort of thing."
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