Charity pleads with vandals to stop after third attack on People’s Park community garden

For second time in little under a month, and the third time since the beginning of April, the Base Community Garden in Ballymena’s People’s Park has been vandalised.

The charity CAN Can runs the community garden as a resource for many disabled in the local area. The garden was set up for the benefit of local people, especially those with learning disabilities, autism and mental health issues.

Ballymena resident and CAN director said: “I would ask whomever is doing this to think again. Sensless vandalism is pointless!

“Feel free to help yourselves to any of the fruit vegetables or herbs growing in the garden but please, please, please STOP destroying something that means so much to people who take great joy in this space and all that it represents.

“To ‘Higg’, your name will stay on our shed in the blue spray paint but I hope whoever put it there is proud of their actions.

“The polytunnel was only replaced earlier this year after being set alight and totally destroyed late last year and now we find it being slashed. We will continue to leave the polytunnel and shed without locks as previously fitted ones were just ripped off, causing even more damage.

“I can only say I am disgusted and appalled by the actions of what I am sure is a very small minority of people who get the it kicks from senselessly damaging things.”

Ballymena Base members start back in September and they will be devastated by this loss. Staff have worked hard to maintain the garden during the last months, so they can return to their activities that they get so much benefit from.

If you know anything about this, please report it to Police on 101, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.