HUNDREDS of pounds of damage have been caused after a mental health community hub in Braintree was raided this week.

Burglars targeted ‘A Place to Be You’ - a well-being hub in Braintree’s Corner House - on Monday morning, stealing a charity box with about £50 as well as causing hundreds of pounds of damage.

The hub, in Corner House on Fairfield Road, only opened in October 2023 and offers mental health support for residents.

A spokesman from Essex Police said: “We were called at 10.25am on 17 June with reports a business in Braintree had been burgled.

“It was reported a premises in Market Place was broken into and a charity box stolen.”

The spokesman anyone with information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to the incident should contact them, quoting crime reference 42/93373/24.

Hub - The community hub helps people in the community with their mental health and wellbeingHub - The community hub helps people in the community with their mental health and wellbeing (Image: Submitted)

Gemma Griffin, who launched the community hub, said: “I’m disgusted that people would do this to a charity.

"It’s just the lowest of the low. For someone to cause hundreds of pounds worth of damage just to steal a charity box is shocking.

“I’d like to send a big thank you to all our members of ‘A Place To Be You’ who have sent supportive messages and offers to help and also Geoff Eveling for coming and boarding up the window and making it secure and then A G Glass for replacing the glass the next morning.”

She added: “Now I have to set up a fundraiser to pay for all the damage caused and replace items that were wrecked in the burglary.

“I just hope whoever did this are found. Braintree needs a safe community, not a community that accepts this behaviour.”

Essex Police can be contacted on www.essex.police.uk/digital101.

Alternatively, to make an anonymous report, you can contact independent charity @Crimestoppers by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555111.