KIND-hearted customers of a Dulverton shop have put their hands in their pockets to raise funds for an air ambulance after a charity collecting pot was stolen from the counter.
An unknown amount of money was in the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance collection tin when it was stolen last month from the independent family-run Exmoor Deli, in Fore Street.
But co-owner Julie Benjamin quickly replaced it and within days customers who had heard about the theft were popping in to the shop in Fore Street to fill it with their loose change.
Mrs Benjamin said: “The kind words, the stories we have heard have touched us all.
“We are so very moved by the kind donations that are going in the pot at the moment.
“We go above and beyond to serve the community and to have somebody come in here and steal is very upsetting.”
When the new collection box was handed over to the charity it was found to contain £67.50.
Air ambulance deputy chief executive Julie Plowden said: “We were so sorry to have heard about the theft last month but are so grateful for your continued support.
“What a fantastic amount raised after the incident.”
Mrs Benjamin took over the deli business with her husband Ian in December, 2023, to sell traditional delicatessen fare and to offer as much local produce as possible and support local suppliers.
She told the Free Press: “Dulverton as a community is absolutely amazing.
“It is such a supportive community and this incident has made me think about how something like this has affected so many people.
“It is mind blowing how much money has come in, and that was just in the first couple of days.
“Since then, the money has been pouring in.”
Mrs Benjamin said the theft was a needless act because she was always willing to help the less fortunate in society.
She said: “If this person had come in and said they were strapped for money and hungry, I would be the first person to let them have something.”
Ms Plowden said in a letter: “I would like to thank you all at the Exmoor Deli for your very generous and kind donation.
“Thanks to your support, our crew are continuing to provide a critical care service for 19 hours a day, both by air and by road, through very close co-operation with our NHS colleagues across the region.
“We are also in a position to help move patients between hospitals if that is required, by road or air, whichever is the most appropriate.
“Clearly, at a time when clinical staff in hospitals are under pressure, this is a real benefit.
“With each mission costing approximately £3,500 and fund-raising challenged in ways that we have never seen, we need your support now more than ever.
“Your donation really will make a big difference and enable us to continue to be there for the patients who need us, so on behalf of all of them, thank you.”