Rose Cottage Fire Repair Fund
Donation protected
I am really hoping for the kindness and generosity of strangers.
My name is Jeanette John and I am 63 years old. On 14 June 2017 my 124 year old cottage went up in flames - an apparent electrical fault in the loft, but it is not certain. Most of the upstairs and loft was destroyed. Thankfully my front room downstairs only suffered smoke damage and some minor water damage....good thing for those 2 foot thick stone walls!! I live alone with my 5 cats who are all indoor cats. It was 6 but I couldn't rescue one and when a fireman did manage to catch her and bring her over the road to me, she was so absolutely terrified she managed to escape and shot off like the devil himself was chasing her. She is 16 and it is unlikely I will see her again. My others are between 10 months and 13 years.
The only income I have is £150 a month that my husband gives me from his pension (we have been separated for 4 years) and what I can make from selling my possessions at car bootsales. I do not have any savings and do not receive any benefits other than council tax reduction. Because of this I could not afford to pay for insurance so now have to come up with approx. £50,000 (about US$64,000) to fix our home. The exact total is not yet known but I am really hoping it will end up being less than that. Unfortunately there is no assistance available from the government or any other organisation.
The cottage requires a complete new roof/loft/ beams, trusses, insulation etc./total rewiring/new water heater and at least 2 new radiators upstairs/2 new ceilings and part of the walls in the two bedrooms that were worst affected. There is also a possibility the bathroom cannot be saved and will also have to be rebuilt. As well as that scaffolding costs need to be met and, of course, the 20% VAT the government wants.
I have no electricity or water and have to depend on a couple of neighbours for use of toilet/shower/laundry/phone charging and use of laptop. Not a good situation in any way. I have been told the work will take approximately 3 months, possibly 4.
My son is doing his best to try and help me financially but 9 years ago he paid off our mortgage (£12,000) when my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and prostate cancer. I know helping this time could bankrupt him and I do not want that to happen.
He is running this campaign for me as I don't use facebook or any other social media and obviously at the moment I do not have internet connection and for that I thank him from the bottom of my heart. He is very special to me.
I have never done this sort of thing before but I am desperate. My cats and I need our home back and for life to be normal again. At the moment they are so traumatised that they have all found hiding places and won't come out. I sometimes wish I could do the same.
We have no choice but to remain in the cottage as there is nowhere available for us to go (I will not be separated from my cats as they have been through enough) so we are living in the front room and kitchen that were only affected by smoke and some water damage. I am having to sleep in one smoky-smelling armchair as just cannot sleep on a tile floor and to say it is uncomfortable is an understatement. Never have I missed my bed more! But...lost mattresses, bedding, wardrobes, clothing, books etc.
I am depending on the kindness of strangers as I have never done before so please, if you can help, you have our deepest gratitude and thanks. If you can't, that is ok, too. I understand and thank you for taking the time to read this and hopefully 'share' it.
One last thing...if money is raised and it ends up higher than actual costs, any extra will be donated to the charity Animal Free Research UK (Dr Hadwen Trust). If anyone who donated has a preferred charity, they would only need let me know. And, of course, if you have any questions I will do my best to answer them. No money raised will be used to replace lost belongings...it is just to fix our home so life can return to normal.
We are depending on the kindness of strangers....thank you so much!!
http://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/15353556.Blaenffos_woman_thanks_fire_service_following_house_blaze/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/fire-crews-battle-west-wales-13186455
My name is Jeanette John and I am 63 years old. On 14 June 2017 my 124 year old cottage went up in flames - an apparent electrical fault in the loft, but it is not certain. Most of the upstairs and loft was destroyed. Thankfully my front room downstairs only suffered smoke damage and some minor water damage....good thing for those 2 foot thick stone walls!! I live alone with my 5 cats who are all indoor cats. It was 6 but I couldn't rescue one and when a fireman did manage to catch her and bring her over the road to me, she was so absolutely terrified she managed to escape and shot off like the devil himself was chasing her. She is 16 and it is unlikely I will see her again. My others are between 10 months and 13 years.
The only income I have is £150 a month that my husband gives me from his pension (we have been separated for 4 years) and what I can make from selling my possessions at car bootsales. I do not have any savings and do not receive any benefits other than council tax reduction. Because of this I could not afford to pay for insurance so now have to come up with approx. £50,000 (about US$64,000) to fix our home. The exact total is not yet known but I am really hoping it will end up being less than that. Unfortunately there is no assistance available from the government or any other organisation.
The cottage requires a complete new roof/loft/ beams, trusses, insulation etc./total rewiring/new water heater and at least 2 new radiators upstairs/2 new ceilings and part of the walls in the two bedrooms that were worst affected. There is also a possibility the bathroom cannot be saved and will also have to be rebuilt. As well as that scaffolding costs need to be met and, of course, the 20% VAT the government wants.
I have no electricity or water and have to depend on a couple of neighbours for use of toilet/shower/laundry/phone charging and use of laptop. Not a good situation in any way. I have been told the work will take approximately 3 months, possibly 4.
My son is doing his best to try and help me financially but 9 years ago he paid off our mortgage (£12,000) when my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and prostate cancer. I know helping this time could bankrupt him and I do not want that to happen.
He is running this campaign for me as I don't use facebook or any other social media and obviously at the moment I do not have internet connection and for that I thank him from the bottom of my heart. He is very special to me.
I have never done this sort of thing before but I am desperate. My cats and I need our home back and for life to be normal again. At the moment they are so traumatised that they have all found hiding places and won't come out. I sometimes wish I could do the same.
We have no choice but to remain in the cottage as there is nowhere available for us to go (I will not be separated from my cats as they have been through enough) so we are living in the front room and kitchen that were only affected by smoke and some water damage. I am having to sleep in one smoky-smelling armchair as just cannot sleep on a tile floor and to say it is uncomfortable is an understatement. Never have I missed my bed more! But...lost mattresses, bedding, wardrobes, clothing, books etc.
I am depending on the kindness of strangers as I have never done before so please, if you can help, you have our deepest gratitude and thanks. If you can't, that is ok, too. I understand and thank you for taking the time to read this and hopefully 'share' it.
One last thing...if money is raised and it ends up higher than actual costs, any extra will be donated to the charity Animal Free Research UK (Dr Hadwen Trust). If anyone who donated has a preferred charity, they would only need let me know. And, of course, if you have any questions I will do my best to answer them. No money raised will be used to replace lost belongings...it is just to fix our home so life can return to normal.
We are depending on the kindness of strangers....thank you so much!!
http://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/15353556.Blaenffos_woman_thanks_fire_service_following_house_blaze/
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/fire-crews-battle-west-wales-13186455
Organizer
Chris Benson
Organizer
