On the evening of Thursday 2nd Dec Gus had his beloved Blue Transit (locked and alarmed) stolen from outside his house. He is a full time single dad to three daughters and works as a self-employed builder.

His van is more than his way of working, it contained a tool box with irreplaceable hand tools he has used for years. It was fitted out by him to be the means of all holidays with the children (and jointly with me and my children too) it had our camping things in - a metal firebowl, an inflatable canoe, a toe hitch for our second hand trailer tent, a lovely stereo, lights for when the back was a 'room', pans, coats, rollerskates, solar panels, battery chargers, and his collection of bags for life which was the most loved and cared for set of shopping bags I have ever seen. He always picks me up and takes me to Aldi in that van. Our trolley coins were in a special place. The kids' little sewn things from school hanging from the rear view mirror. It was a van so full of love.

 

It was stolen in a spate of van thefts by an organised group who will have moved it far far away by now. The police have just said report it online. Gus spent the day on Friday, off work, just driving around 3 counties searching. Hoping it was parked up while they give it 24hrs in case it has a tracker. It didn't. And now the very loved van is lost to us.

 

Gus can get insurance for the basic van shell. He will not get anything for the things inside, or for the many improvements he made to the van: extra windows, extra cab seating, roof bars, ladder, plywood flooring and shelving, solar panels - the new towel rail he was about to fit for a job (the receipt was in box, locked in the van) all the tools, the many family things.  

 

He's so sad. And this is a small way I hope to make him feel OK again as he starts creating a new van for his family adventures and for his work. He is a man who will ALWAYS help others - he moves things for people, he mends things, he gives what he has without wanting anything in return. He's a man of very humble possession, but what he has is precious and cared for.

 

Can we help him to create a new second hand van that he might grow to love as much as GJ12 UMV - the blue van of so many wonderful times?

 

Thank you so much for helping to restore a bit of faith in the world where such bad bloody luck hits a bloody good man. If we go over target, so many more of the precious things can be replaced. Thank you. Thank you xx