Shropshire Star

Parents and police rally around for youngster put in care

A group of school parents from Tibberton near Newport have rallied around to help a young child recently taken into the care of local authorities in Telford.

Published
PC Mansell with parents who donated

The appeal came after Pc Vicky Mansell, a Safer Neighbourhood Officer based at Donnington Police Station made one of her regular visits to local children's homes in the town and was introduced to a young child who had only just arrived at the home.

Pc Mansell said: “It’s sad every single time a child has to be taken into care and there are a multitude of reasons why it happens, but the case of this little one really struck a chord with me.

“I’m a mum of young kids myself so to be presented with a child of a similar age to mine, who was undoubtedly scared and bewildered about what was going on, and had arrived at the home with no more than the clothes they were stood up in and a couple of old action figure toys to their name really got to me."

Pc Mansell asked a few parents she knew to have a rummage, and before long the message had spread.

“I knew the staff at the home would do what they could but I just felt the need to try and help," she said.

"Having had a rummage through the wardrobes at home, I asked a few of my fellow parents on the school run if they had any old or spare clothes or toys they no longer needed that I could have to help a child in need, in the hope I might get a few extra items to make this little ones life a bit more bearable."

But Pc Mansell never reckoned on how her fellow parents would react and within just a couple of days the bags started arriving and very quickly enough clothes and toys for the youngster, who cannot be identified, had been collected that they filled the back of a police van.

Pc Mansell has since delivered all of the items to the child.

She said the child was over the moon.

"He’d never had anything like this in his life," she said.

“I can never thank the parents from Tibberton School enough for coming to the aide of a young person they do not know and never will. It just shows that community spirit is still alive and well."

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