Train wreck: Get Henry's fundraiser back on track

Our son raised £822 for Vintage Trains Charitable Trust and that money has disappeared!

On May 25th Henry, who is 13, autistic and obsessed with trains spent 12 hours on a mission to visit every station between Lichfield and Bromsgrove, to raise money for Vintage Trains Charitable Trust. We raised £822 plus gift aid on the Just Giving platform. Just Giving congratulated me for being in the top 20% of fundraisers for the month of May and Vintage Trains were lovely when we went on one of their trips, inviting us to visit the footplate.

Things went wrong a couple of days after that when I saw my page had been shut down. I contacted Just Giving who said there was a problem with the charity’s account. They were none the wiser, and we both tried via Just Giving to reopen the page. Unfortunately while this was happening, I got a refund notification from Just Giving for money I had placed on behalf of both my mother and mother in law. Other people also got refunded. I therefore got back in touch with both the charity and Just Giving, feeling devastated that the fundraising money was being scattered in all directions and not being given to the charity.

What transpires is that Just Giving was unable to send the money as the charity’s bank details were out of date on their platform. They contacted Vintage Trains, explaining there were stranded funds and unfortunately the contact details were out of date as well. The email went goodness knows where but was unanswered therefore Just Giving closed the page and refunded money. I think they could have done more- like informing me, and calling the charity but we are where we are. And Vintage Trains could have been more curious about when they were getting the money from Henry and checked their accounts. Just Giving are saying there is nothing they can do as it’s down to the charity. I have asked Just Giving to honour the fundraiser but with no success.

This new page. in the interests of transparency, is a personal one into Andy’s account so that we as a family can keep control of when and where money is going. Andy will transfer the money and we will provide a screenshot of that transfer.

So, please, if you sponsored Henry before, please check you got refunded and please can you take the trouble to do it again. If you aren’t in a position to, then we understand. Please instead forward the link everywhere you can and explain what has happened. If you weren’t able to sponsor us before and can now, please do. I can’t replicate the reach of the previous page, I didn’t know all the people who sponsored us and some were anonymous. So pleading with people to do all they can to publicise our situation. I have to get this back to £822 if at all possible because in the middle of this mess is an autistic 13 year old who loves trains and did a wonderful thing- and none of this was his fault.