Theft of Charity donations

The Trust has been made aware of a disgraceful incident that happened overnight on Sunday/Monday 16th/17th June, when money was taken from charity tins in the members lounge of the Kidderminster Harriers Social and Supporters Club. KHIST has a mutually beneficial agreement with the Social Club whereby we have use of the club’s facilities and, as such, we have more than a passing interest.

The money has been stolen from essential donations intended for a local charity which has recently rebranded and registered as HUGS (HELP, UNDERSTANDING, GUIDANCE and SUPPORT) – Charity No. 1182234, having previously been the Worcestershire branch of ‘Towards Tomorrow Together’.

HUGS is a small but dedicated charity offering a range of services for bereaved parents and their families, providing invaluable support from the time they have discovered the devastating news that their baby has died (during or shortly after pregnancy) through the weeks, months and possibly, years ahead.

The charity recognizes that everyone is different and will grieve and find comfort in their own ways. They provide our local hospitals with keepsake boxes filled with gifts to help parents make memories with their baby in the short time that they will have to spend together. They can also offer one to one meetings, phone support, group meetings and/or chat via emails. For others, the charity can offer full courses of alternative therapies such as acupuncture or hypnotherapy.

As with many small charities, HUGS is entirely dependent on the generosity and goodwill of local people, and we at KHIST find it difficult to accept that there are still ‘low lifes’ out there who can, so selfishly, deprive grieving parents and families of the support they so desperately need. So, if anyone does have knowledge or information that may help identify the individual involved, would they please come forward?

Local people can find more information about the caring support and services offered by the charity at:- www.hugs.org.uk