Blow to charity appeal after donations stolen

A SMALL charity that relies on donations is appealing to the North East public to help fill a heartbreaking fundraising gap caused following the theft of collection buckets from a Tyneside bus depot.

- By SAM VOLPE

The boxes are used each year on Stagecoach’s buses to raise cash for The Chronicle Sunshine Fund.

The charity supports local youngsters with disabilities and their families and each year the fundraising buckets on each Stagecoach bus help to raise around £10,000.

The incident has sadly forced Stagecoach bosses to take the difficult decision to remove the buckets from its buses for the rest of the month.

This means that there will be a considerable gap in the charity's Christmas appeal coffers.

The burglaries are understood to have taken place in the early hours of either Sunday or Monday this week and have been reported to Northumbria Police.

This comes as the Chronicle Sunshine Fund and Stagecoach continue to take festive joy around Tyneside with the Santa Bus - which has been spending time in Newcastle city centre at the Christmas Market and also visited local SEND schools.

The idea is that everyone, regardless of budget, background or needs, can visit Santa, free of charge, on a fully accessible bus.