An online appeal has raised funds for the owners of a corner shop whose entire stock of chocolate worth nearly £1,000 melted after its air conditioning failed to cope during the recent heatwave.
More than £630 has been raised to replace the lost sweets after a GoFundMe page was set up by Claire York, the daughter of the store’s owners, Stephen and Linda Ellis.
Ellis Stores in Scunthorpe lost about £1,000 worth of goods after the unprecedented temperatures last month when it reached 40C.
York said due to excesses and the rise in insurance premiums it was not worth making a claim for the melted chocolate. She told the BBC: “My mum was literally ready to pack in, shut the door and just leave it all, bless her. They’ve had a really tough couple of years with price rises and everything else, so this was like the tip of the iceberg really.”
The couple have run the independent shop on Cottage Beck Road for more than 24 years. York added her parents were “so, so grateful” for the donations. “My mum has just cried,” she said.
“For the whole week she just cried every time anybody’s given any money, anybody’s done anything.”
York’s appeal on the GoFundMe page read: “To say they’ve had a pretty pants year when it comes to the shop would be an understatement.
“I’m hoping all the locals and our friends and family could just donate a little or give it a share to try help out a little independent shop.
“I know they do so much for everyone else and help out whenever they can. Any help to replenish the stock lost would be very much appreciated. They will probably hate that I’ve done this but they deserve a break.”
One regular customer told the BBC the couple “do a great job with the community and the shop”.
“Everybody knows them,” he said. “I think it’s great that they’ve put some money forward to help them when they lost the chocolate.”
