Vandals destroy the park for those in need – thanks to donations, the project continues

England Vandals destroy the park for those in need – thanks to donations, the project continues

Carly Bird is devastated. In the video she posted on TikTok, she couldn’t hold back her tears. Burd set up a charitable project in the English city of Harlow to support those in need: she grew vegetables in a designated garden, which mainly benefited families with children in financial trouble due to inflation.

A very noble idea, but clearly not everyone liked it. Unidentified persons threw salt on the ground, according to Bird, at about five kilograms. “It wasn’t a silly boy joke, it was the adults who knew exactly what they were doing,” said Carly Bird. The beds where potatoes and onions were sown were affected. “I also can’t develop anything new because it won’t grow,” Bird says, crying in the video. “They did it all over the place.” Plants cannot absorb nutrients and water properly in salty soil and so cannot thrive. This was apparently the intention of the vandals.

Supporters donate thousands of pounds

“What was particularly heartbreaking was that the bulbs were planted by kids who put a lot of effort into it,” Burd explained. However, the vandalism has had a very tangible impact on families who depend on food from Bird’s garden because they can hardly afford fresh vegetables due to the sharp rise in prices. By her own account, Burd has supported more than 1,600 people with locally grown vegetables from her garden and through donations since September of last year. She says the destroyed potatoes and onions would have supplied 300 people.

But after Burd did so much for the community, she got something in return. Her TikTok video has been viewed nearly five million times, and her dedication has been recognized across the UK. Even English football legend Gary Lineker remarked: “Why would anyone do something like that?” Thanks to public interest, Burd’s help project can now go on. An online fundraiser has raised over £240,000 to help families through this difficult time.

“It’s been like a whirlwind, and we’re so grateful,” says the mother-of-three of the support. Meanwhile, the police are searching for the unknown perpetrators.

sources: Carly Bird on TikTok / BBC / GoFundMe