Northern Ireland

More than £400,000 raised on GoFundMe to rebuild after riots

About £384,000 has been donated for the victims of the Southport attack on July 29 that saw three girls killed and sparked disorder across the UK.

A police car burns as officers are deployed on the streets of Hartlepool following a violent protest
A police car burns as officers are deployed on the streets of Hartlepool following a violent protest (Owen Humphreys/PA)
By Pol Allingham, PA

More than £400,000 has been raised for rebuilding across the UK in the wake of the riots.

Multiple GoFundMe pages for repairs say the funds could go to relocating the businesses.

Donations have also surpassed £384,000 for the families of the three girls killed in the Southport attack on July 29, as well as the other victims.

Workers repair a window in the roof of Southport Islamic Centre Mosque in Southport, Merseyside
Workers repair a window in the roof of Southport Islamic Centre Mosque in Southport, Merseyside (James Speakman/PA)

The money for one GoFundMe will go to “rebuilding or relocating” the Merseyside town’s mosque that was “turned into a warzone”, the page said.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the violence in Southport on July 30 focused on the place of worship involved about 1,000 people, and the group’s chants included “This is our f****** country”, “England til I die” and “Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah”.

Southport Islamic Society Mosque said in a press release that the congregation “prayed inside hoping the attackers would not reach the front door”.

A supporter of Spellow Lane Library Hub in Liverpool asked for £5,000 to replace books after it suffered severe damage when it was torched on Sunday.

As of Thursday more than £215,644 had been donated to the recently opened library, which also operated as a food bank for one of the most deprived communities in the country.

Bash Cafe in Belfast, which sells Arabic coffee and falafel, was also burned in the riots and has received more than its target for repairs, with £27,321 raised.

Scenes around the Bash Cafe on Donegall Road in south Belfast
Scenes around the Bash Cafe on Donegall Road in south Belfast (Rebecca Black/PA)

The GoFundMe organiser said the owner Mohammed “did not see himself reopening” after the windows were broken and the interior was extensively damaged by smoke and fire.

However, he has been “so encouraged by the support he has seen on this page from near and far that he is now looking for options to reopen the cafe in a different location”, the supporter said.

A Citizens Advice building in Sunderland was also set alight and has received £14,912 in donations.

Riots swept the UK after Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were fatally stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the Hart Space on Monday July 29 in Southport.

Left to right) Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine
Left to right) Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine (Merseyside Police/PA)

Individual GoFundMe pages for each of the girls’ families have raised nearly £200,000.

One page organised for all of their families raised £112,200 in 2,900 donations.

The Southport Dance Group Emergency Fund said: “The dance world is a wonderful community of people who gain such joy from dancing and it’s impossible to comprehend what has happened at this dance class.”

More than £18,561 has been donated to support Leanne Lucas, the yoga class instructor injured while protecting children at the holiday club.

A fire-damaged Citizens Advice Bureau office in Sunderland
A fire-damaged Citizens Advice Bureau office in Sunderland (Tom Wilkinson/PA)

GoFundMe said in a statement: “Nearly a million has been raised on GoFundMe to help those across the UK affected by the riots and political unrest.

“During the unrest, people across the country have sprung into action to help those who have been affected.”