To the rescue: pupils rally to raise money after Help for Heroes collection is stolen (From Bournemouth Echo)

To the rescue: pupils rally to raise money after Help for Heroes collection is stolen

2:00pm Saturday 9th March 2013 in News By Julie Magee

HELPING HAND: Buckholme Towers School headteacher Iain Robertson, left, and pupils present a cheque for £539.25 to Dave Alderson of La Cruz Restaurant to top up the restaurant’s fundraising appeal for Help For Heroes Picture: Corin Messer

SCHOOL superheroes have come to the rescue of a Poole restaurateur after hard-hearted thieves snatched a charity collection bottle from the bar.

Pupils at Buckholme Towers near La Cruz restaurant in Ashley Cross rallied to raise £539.25 for Help for Heroes after manager David Alderson discovered the shocking theft.

The eatery was closed in January last year when late-night raiders smashed the front window and snatched the charity pot containing hundreds of pounds.

Big-hearted customers had stuffed the bottle, which had a Help for Heroes magnet on the front, with everything from coins to £20 notes. Despite police appealing for witnesses to help to find the crooks, neither the bottle or its contents were found.

The restaurant caters for pupils at Buckholme Towers, providing them with hot lunches. Headmaster Iain Robertson said: “We already have close links with La Cruz and when we heard their charity collection had been stolen we wanted to return it.

“The money was raised by a B Factor concert at Parkstone United Reformed Church. Help for Heroes was our chosen charity last year; this year we are raising funds for the Butterfly Foundation.”

After receiving a giant cheque, David said: “Help for Heroes is a cause very close to my heart; I lost a very good friend in Afghanistan in 2006.

“When you hear about servicemen and women coming back with terrible injuries and disabilities you can’t help but be impressed by their courage. We’ve been collecting for the charity for around two years; it’s an incredible cause.”

He added: “We are so grateful to the boys and girls at Buckholme Towers for their fantastic help; unfortunately the stolen money was never recovered but they are our heroes.”