‘I am shocked that they would do this to someone trying to raise money for another good cause’
Charity shops in Holywood called the police on a man who was fundraising in the town in order to provide equipment and support to communities in Africa.
Over the past few years former teacher and engineer Paddy Finnegan of Finnegan Tools, has been designing and creating equipment for working donkeys and other equines that can be used by people living in the developing world to enhance their daily lives while also giving them tools to sustain themselves and their animals.
He has been working with schools, community groups and even young offenders in Northern Ireland in order to develop the equipment, which includes humane harnesses, carthwheels and wheelbarrows, while also working with African schools to show them how the equipment can be replicated for them to build.
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In recent weeks Paddy has been out and about in Belfast City Centre and other locations such as Holywood High Street in order to spread the message about what he is doing and help generate funds for the project, telling Belfast Live that he has received a lot of interest and support.
On Saturday, August 16, he was on Holywood High Street for a few hours fundraising and claims that he was suddenly approached by someone from a nearby charity shop who complained about what he was doing and said they would be ringing the police on him. Another person from a different charity shop also allegedly approached him and said the same.
Paddy says he told them that he had all the permissions needed to do his fundraising on the street and that he was very disappointed that anyone from a charity would act like this towards him.
He said: “I am shocked that anyone who is supposed to be representing a charity would ring the police on me for trying to raise money for a project that aims to support people in developing countries. It felt like bullying behaviour and not anything approaching charitable.
“I have been out and about all over Belfast and Holywood recently fundraising for my Wheels of Change programme and been getting a great response anywhere I have been until this happened and I was told that I was not allowed to be on the public footpath near their shop.
“I am sorry that the police had their time wasted coming down on Saturday and I am thankful for the support I received from the everyone who stopped for chat with me.”
The PSNI have confirmed that they received a report regarding a charity worker in Holywood on Saturday, August, 16, with officers attending the scene and no offences being detected.
A spokesperson said: “Police received a report in relation to a charity worker in the High Street area of Holywood on Saturday 16th August. Officers attended and no offences were detected.”
The Wheels of Change programme is something that Paddy has been working on throughout the past few years where he has designed harnesses and a cartwheel that is easy to use and assemble for developing communities in Africa.
Paddy continued: “I have been working with schools and community groups here in Northern Ireland to make harnesses and build wheelbarrows and carts that can be sent off to help developing communities. The response so far has been great and there are a number of schools in Uganda and South Africa that are going to be joining up for a pilot programme to create them as it also covers their level one wood working awards.
“The aim is to help people become even more self-sufficient with the project also being a bit of a trojan horse for getting young people here into working with their hands.”
If you would like more information about the Wheels for Change project and Paddy’s work please visit his Facebook page.
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