The Liphook community has come together to support the Liphook Day Centre after it suffered significant vandalism.

The Liphook Day Centre, located at The Peak Centre, is a crucial community hub that offers support, companionship, and care to elderly residents. It recently faced acts of vandalism that caused nearly £600 in damage to its roof.

The vandals, reported to be a group of young people, repeatedly climbed onto the roof, leaving the structure in urgent need of repair. The centre manager, Natalie d’Amato, explained that covering the £600 repair costs would hit the not-for-profit charity hard, so she decided to launch a fundraising appeal on GoFundMe to try to raise the necessary funds.

“Liphook Day Centre is more than just a building; it's a lifeline for many who depend on it for daily activities, meals, and social interaction,” said d’Amato.

The initial goal was to raise £600 to cover the repair costs. But in just one week, thanks to the overwhelming generosity of residents, not only has the target been met, but it has been exceeded.

“The community’s generosity has been astonishing; one individual even donated £200! We have been blown away by the kindness of the Liphook community,” said d'Amato. “You are all wonderful. Thank you, everyone – it means the world to us!”

Despite many in the community coming together to help a charity in need, d’Amato was saddened to hear that someone was circulating the rumour that the GoFundMe was a scam.

She said: “We are here for the community, and we’re asking for help because we don’t have the money to fund these repairs by ourselves. We are a charity, and this is not a scam; our roof really was vandalised.”

The additional funds will be used to install measures that prevent future vandalism by restricting access to the roof.