An online appeal has raised funds for the owners of a corner shop whose nearly £1,000 worth of chocolate stock melted after its air conditioning failed during the recent heatwave.
More than £630 was raised to replace the lost sweets after a GoFundMe page was set up by Claire York, the daughter of shop owners Stephen and Linda Ellis.
Ellis Stores in Scunthorpe lost around £1,000 worth of goods after last month’s unprecedented temperatures reached 40C.
York said that because of the excesses and the increase in insurance premiums, it was not worth making a claim about the melted chocolate. She told the BBC: “My mum was literally ready to pack up, shut the door and just leave everything, bless her. They’ve had really tough years with prices going up and everything, so this was really like the tip of the iceberg.”
Ellis Stores in Scunthorpe. Photo: Claire York
The couple have run the independent shop on Cottage Beck Road for more than 24 years. York added that her parents are “so, so grateful” for the donations. “My mom just cried,” she said.
“All week she just cried every time someone gave money, someone did something.”
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York’s appeal on the GoFundMe page reads: “To say they’ve had a good pants year when it comes to the store would be an understatement.
“I hope all the locals and our friends and family can just donate a little or give a share to try and help a small independent shop.
“I know they do so much for everyone else and help when they can. Any help to replenish lost stock would be greatly appreciated. They’ll probably hate that I did this, but they deserve a break.
One regular customer told the BBC the couple “do great work with the community and the shop”.
“Everybody knows them,” he said. “I think it’s great that they put some money aside to help them when they lost the chocolate.”
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