Almost £6,000 has been raised on a GoFundMe page for a health charity after its central office was destroyed in an arson attack.
The fire started in the early hours of Thursday last week, after Labour MP Sharon Hodgson’s office was targeted in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
A neighbouring NHS mental health service for veterans was also destroyed and it is feared that little remains of both offices following the blaze.
Niemann-Pick UK (NPUK), which is the country’s only charity dedicated to the disease, has so far raised almost £6,000 after asking the public for donations through a GoFundMe page, with a target of £13,000 to help rebuild and recover equipment.
NPUK said that the fire “presents a significant barrier to its ability to deliver vital support” during a time of “economic challenge”.
The charity’s chief executive Toni Mathieson described the fire as “malicious” and said it represents “a devastating loss on many levels”.
“It has wiped out a central point of contact for our community, and taken away a place of connection, collaboration and essential, first-line support,” he said.
Mathieson confirmed that because of the fire, 34 and a half years of history – including photographs, films, reports, documents and other items – have all been destroyed.
According to the charity, the office complex has also faced threats, graffiti and demonstrations in recent months.
Graffiti on the side of the building read “328 days blood on your hands” but it is believed to have been there for as long as a year in reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Man admits arson
A 28-year-old man, Joshua Oliver, admitted to starting the fire that destroyed the constituency office and other buildings in the area.
Oliver pleaded guilty at Newcastle magistrates court on the basis that it was reckless rather than intentional but the crown did not accept the basis of the plea.
He admitted damage estimated between £250,000 to £500,000 and said the fire started in a wheelie bin which he did not intend to spread to the building.
Oliver, who had been living in a tent nearby, was remanded in custody to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 14 October.
