Teachers whip round to buy schoolboy, 14, new bike after the one he spent months saving for was stolen the first time he rode it to school
- Sam Grant had his bike stolen on his first journey to school without his grandad
- A thief pinched the bike six months after Sam had been saving up to buy it
- Teachers at Horndean Technology College rallied together to buy him a new one
- They set up a GoFundMe page and within six hours they had raised enough funds
A schoolboy left in floods of tears when a thief stole his new bike is now ‘overjoyed’ after kindhearted teachers chipped in to buy him a new one.
Sam Grant, who is still attending school as his mum is an NHS worker, was ‘devastated’ when a thief pinched the Carrera Crossfire he spent six months saving for with his paper round, birthday and Christmas money.
It was the first time the 14 year old cycled to school as his grandfather, who usually collects him, was self-isolating due to being vulnerable amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Sam Grant had his bike stolen on his first journey to school with it but now his teachers have raised the £350 needed to buy him a replacement
Sam with his mother, Helen Grant, 42, who is a manager at Elmleigh mental health hospital in nearby Havant
He had locked it up in the school’s bike shed and was horrified when he returned to find a thief had taken it.
But after seeing Sam in tears, his teachers at Horndean Technology College in Hampshire rallied together to buy him a new bicycle.
Teachers set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding page and within six hours the £350 needed to replace the bike was raised, with most of the donations coming from the school’s staff.
Sam – who had been faced with an hour-long, three mile walk home to Waterlooville, Hants – was presented with the orange Scott mountain bike at school.
Sam said: ‘I was really happy when I got the bike. It’s a much smoother ride and a much better bike than my last one.
‘It’s amazing that so many people came together to help me – particularly at what is a difficult time with the coronavirus.’
His mother Helen Grant, 42, a manager at Elmleigh mental health hospital in nearby Havant, added: ‘Seeing Sam crying was truly heartbreaking. The worst thing was that he kept apologising for what had happened.
‘It’s just lovely that the school was so engaged in wanting to help. We are genuinely overwhelmed at the response.
‘The school have been so supportive and the majority of money raised has been donated by Sam’s teachers.’
Elmleigh mental health hospital in Havant where Sam’s mother Helen Grant works as a manager, said ‘It’s just lovely that the school was so engaged in wanting to help. We are genuinely overwhelmed at the response’
Sam stands proudly with his new orange bike and matching top. The whip-round was arranged by PE teacher Carl Duke, who said the teachers ‘wanted to do our bit’ after the theft
Headteacher Julie Summerfield said staff felt ‘awful’ about the theft and PE teacher Carl Duke arranged to buy the bike.
Mr Duke said: ‘When we found out what happened to Sam we all wanted to do our bit.
‘Sam was so upset when his bike was stolen and it was fantastic to see a smile on his face. He was really overwhelmed and kept saying “it’s amazing, much better than my old bike”.’
School staff also bought Sam accessories including a bike cage, bottle and specialised pedals.