Youth football club heart-broken amid theft of 'vital' equipment
They say it represents years of fundraising, grant funding and community effort
A local youth football club say they are both 'sad' and 'frustrated' following the theft of a 'vital' piece of equipment.
They add 'to make matters worse', not only has their John Deere gone missing - but so has their smaller ride-on mower, amounting to 'well over' £30,000 worth of equipment having been stolen.
Those at the volunteer-run club say it's a 'heart-breaking' situation - and represents years of fundraising, grant funding and community effort.
In a statement on Facebook, bosses said: "It is with sadness and frustration that we share some devastating news.
"After three years of hard work, campaigning and securing grant funding, we were absolutely delighted to recently take delivery of a brand new John Deere 1026R compact tractor to maintain our pitches. Sadly, sometime overnight between Monday 18th August and Tuesday 19th August, this vital piece of equipment was stolen from a double locked areas from our grounds.
"To make matters worse, our smaller Husqvarna ride-on mower was also taken. In total, this represents well over £30,000 worth of equipment – the result of years of fundraising, grant applications and community effort.
"As a 100% volunteer-run club, serving almost 200 children who love and play football every week, this is a devastating blow. Without this equipment, we currently have no way of cutting and maintaining our pitches in preparation for the season ahead.
"Our community is shocked, saddened, and heartbroken. We worked tirelessly to secure this funding and provide the very best facilities for our young players, only for it to be taken away before we even had the chance to fully benefit from it.
"We are working with police and our insurance company but in the meantime are asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area of Tregorrick Football Club between Monday night and Tuesday morning to please get in touch.
"On behalf of everyone at Tregorrick Youth Football Club, thank you for your continued support during this difficult time."