William and Kate donate to food bank after thieves raid its warehouse
Workers arrived at Southwark Foodbank’s warehouse in Peckham to find empty shelves after burglars stole thousands of pounds worth of goods.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have donated to a south London food bank after thieves raided its warehouse.
Workers arrived at Southwark Foodbank’s warehouse in Peckham to find empty shelves after burglars stole thousands of pounds worth of goods in the early hours of Sunday, the food bank said.
William and Kate donated £3,500 to charity Pecan after hearing about the theft, which will cover the costs of the goods stolen and the damage caused, the food bank added.
Peter Edwards, chief executive of Pecan, said: “This surprise donation by the Prince and Princess of Wales – following such a difficult spell for their family – underlines their kindness and decency.
“After serious ill health their first thought was of how to help others.
“Their generosity will inspire staff and volunteers to redouble Pecan’s efforts to alleviate poverty in London.”
Since the burglary, the food bank has received an “overwhelming reaction” from the community, Mr Edwards said.
He added: “Staff and volunteers discovered the theft on Monday morning, they were very distressed at what they saw, which included the aftermath of the burglars forcing their way in the warehouse and the damage that they caused.
“They were met with empty shelves.
“We are delighted that after such a difficult time for their own family the Waleses thought of us and the people of the community in need across Southwark, and that’s testament to their decency and compassion.”
Pecan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “A huge thank you to @Kensingtonroyal who have donated to the recovery effort following the theft of £3k of food supplies from @southwarkfoodbk. All at @Pecan121a have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from across society. Food stocks are being replenished now.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the force was called at 9.02am on Monday to a report of a burglary at a business in Peckham.
They said: “It was reported that a laptop, phone and food was stolen from the property.
“Inquiries are ongoing; no arrests have been made.”
Pecan asked anyone who wishes to donate to visit: https://www.bankuet.co.uk/southwark.
