Celebrity supporter reopens Sense family centre following arson attack
25 November 2011
Following an arson attack last month, the Sense Woodside Family Centre in Kingswood, Bristol was delighted to reopen its doors to deafblind children and their families with a very special sing-and-signing session with BBC Points West host Alex Lovell.
Alex, who is a level one British Sign Language user and long term supporter of Sense’s work in Bristol, joined the team in popular Christmas songs. The charity estimates that over £25,000 worth of damage was caused to both the building and its contents during the attack which occurred a month ago on 22nd October.
Helen Potter, Woodside Centre's Senior Children and Family Support Worker, said:
"It has been heartbreaking for us to see so many specialist toys and so much equipment destroyed. So, it’s truly fantastic to re-open Woodside’s doors again to the deafblind children and their families. All of us here at Woodside are also keen to pay tribute to the firefighters and police teams who were so brave on the night of the arson attack and in the investigations since. We would also like to thank the member of the public who alerted the fire service to the blaze. We’ve had lots of volunteers helping us with the big clean up. The encouragement we have received from volunteers and people helping us to fundraise has really kept our spirits up!
The arson attack occurred on Saturday 22nd October at about 10 pm when one of the centre’s sheds was set on fire. The fire spread to the main building causing part of the roof to melt. The kitchen area and a family room were subsequently smoke damaged. Windows were blown in and all the electrics were destroyed. Graffiti was also daubed on the buildings.
According to Alex Lovell, "It’s amazing to be here today following the fire. The smile on my face was almost as big as theirs to be back in such a special place. The work and dedication of Sense is incredible and makes a profound difference to the lives of so many deafblind children."
Read more about Sense’s work supporting deafblind children