Chit Chat
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31 Jan 15
20:34
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30 Mar 05
Donations to a disabled pensioner who was mugged outside his home have topped £160,000.
Alan Barnes, 67, was left too afraid to return to his home in Low Fell, Gateshead after the attack on Sunday.
Mr Barnes, who is visually impaired, broke his collarbone when he was pushed to the ground.
Following reports of the attack, which police described as "disgraceful", the Help Alan Barnes online donation page was created on the Go Fund Me site.
Beautician Katie Cutler, who set up the page, said it showed "there are so many lovely people out there".
"Not just people in the North East, but we've had people donating from Canada, Holland, down south, the USA, New Zealand.
"This person that hurt Alan is just a minority."
Mr Barnes, who has lived with disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant, said it was "just unbelievable".
"I've heard of fundraising for charities but I've only got a fractured collarbone, I didn't expect that sort of response," he said.
"Thank you doesn't really seem to answer it, does it?"
'Restored faith'
Ms Cutler's aim was to raise £500 but that was quickly passed and, by 19:00 GMT on Saturday, it had reached £165,644 with more than 11,700 people contributing.
Many had left comments wishing Mr Barnes well and praising Ms Cutler for what she had done.
One, Geoff Poole, said: "The life of Alan Barnes will be improved and he will feel safer, not only because of the extreme generosity of the people donating, but also because of the selfless act performed by Katie, who took the time to help someone she doesn't even know.
"Well done Katie, you have restored my faith in human nature."
Ms Cutler said she was "over the moon" and could not believe people's generosity.
There had also been offers of practical help from plumbers, electricians, bathroom and kitchen fitters, carpet layers and people donating furniture, she said.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE9XAZrgKfc
My Faith In Humanity Has Been Restored, thanks to Katie
Alan Barnes, 67, was left too afraid to return to his home in Low Fell, Gateshead after the attack on Sunday.
Mr Barnes, who is visually impaired, broke his collarbone when he was pushed to the ground.
Following reports of the attack, which police described as "disgraceful", the Help Alan Barnes online donation page was created on the Go Fund Me site.
Beautician Katie Cutler, who set up the page, said it showed "there are so many lovely people out there".
"Not just people in the North East, but we've had people donating from Canada, Holland, down south, the USA, New Zealand.
"This person that hurt Alan is just a minority."
Mr Barnes, who has lived with disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant, said it was "just unbelievable".
"I've heard of fundraising for charities but I've only got a fractured collarbone, I didn't expect that sort of response," he said.
"Thank you doesn't really seem to answer it, does it?"
'Restored faith'
Ms Cutler's aim was to raise £500 but that was quickly passed and, by 19:00 GMT on Saturday, it had reached £165,644 with more than 11,700 people contributing.
Many had left comments wishing Mr Barnes well and praising Ms Cutler for what she had done.
One, Geoff Poole, said: "The life of Alan Barnes will be improved and he will feel safer, not only because of the extreme generosity of the people donating, but also because of the selfless act performed by Katie, who took the time to help someone she doesn't even know.
"Well done Katie, you have restored my faith in human nature."
Ms Cutler said she was "over the moon" and could not believe people's generosity.
There had also been offers of practical help from plumbers, electricians, bathroom and kitchen fitters, carpet layers and people donating furniture, she said.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE9XAZrgKfc
My Faith In Humanity Has Been Restored, thanks to Katie
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Replies: 46
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Superb story
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Nice to hear. How an earth does this sort of thing happen in the first place though? mugging someone that is disabled
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up 2 £175 grand
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I had an unmanly moment after I first read the story
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I nearly did too MMH
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I'm just a big girl IS
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Wonderful heart-warming story, for every bad guy out there, there are hundreds of thousands of good ones, bl00dy marvellous.
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Evening, MMH.
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Evening Foxy
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thread needs link
. http://www.gofundme.com/l0dt9o |
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nice 1 Brendan im in
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I just donated
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I don't want to sound bad in any way, but has that guy been in the media before, or do people suffering that kind of look similar? It's just he looks very familiar, I can't place where or why.
People who mugged him are scum, nice to see internet mobs doing good for a change |
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FFS how could anyone mug a man with those sort of disabilities and stature. Vermin of the highest order.
Great the way its gone viral and turned out positively for him |
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Thanks brendan for the link, I've just used it.
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First I'd heard of this. To use the old saying it could bring tears to a glass eye.
Nice the appeal has had the response it has had. Vermin is spot on Emden. |
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Spot on aka, but perhaps we are being unfair to vermin, comparing them to this the, lowest of life.
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I hope the money continues to pour in and Mr Barnes uses it to hire a crew of bad ass bodyguards and walks around Gateshead like some mafia don in a really expensive suit.
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Looking for the bastard who did it.
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Well done to Katie Cutler for turning a terrible incident around for Alan Barnes.
As BTF said "for every bad guy out there, there are hundreds of thousands of good ones". Thankfully. Short snippet of the story on this link if you click on Alan's photo: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31072091 |
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Tommy, sometimes I think we let the scummy press deplete our belief in people, now finally, the web might be changing that.
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Agreed, BTF.
Too many 'agendas' going on in the media trying to make everyone fearful, mistrusting and scared to death, most of the time. There are, and always have been, far more good people about than bad. We humans wouldn't have survived on this earth if it had been any other way. |
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Amen to that.
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Spot on guys. Would be good if the vermin who did it was caught.
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I don't want to sound bad in any way, but has that guy been in the media before, or do people suffering that kind of look similar?
IIRC i remember seeing a documentary about people with this condition that makes them look like that. They all look similar. I can remember a horrible youtube video where there was just an empty chair and a tag 'keep watching' went on for about for about 30 seconds that at the end someone (a younger guy) with this condition popped up out of nowhere , scared the shiit out of me. People with facial disfigurements can look frightening to the rest of us, must be horrible for them. I do love stories like this though, shows the good side of the internet. |
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^^^ i agree swear blind i have seen him.
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hope he isn't a wrong un after all this money has been raised
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A truly inspirational story and proves that there are still a lot of good people around.
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[img]http://images.onesite.com/community.betfair.com/user/burton-brewers/8bc693816e0bf92ad6486f83acb99bc2.jpg?v=269400[/img]
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I only got £4,500
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look at it the other way why do people zip up their pockets and sit on their hands untill a poor bloke is mugged before they decide to stump up some cash, if the same bloke the week before had gone to the benefits office and asked for some help or some molre money the daily mail,ids and gideon would have had him on the front page telling him to stop scrounging and get a job
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Thanks brendan....I'm in and can't help my thoughts going back to Claire Squires, who had to die to raise over £1 million.
I'm surprised, given his condition, that he's not already in care! Well now, whatever, he can be and I know from experience, that the new purpose built ones are pretty much like a good hotel. |
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A man has been charged with assaulting disabled pensioner Alan Barnes in Gateshead, for whom £300,000 was subsequently raised in donations
Mr Barnes, 67, suffered a broken collarbone when he was knocked to the ground outside his home in Gateshead, on 25 January. An online fundraising campaign set up on his behalf raised £330,135. Richard Gatiss, 25, of Gateshead, will appear before magistrates in the town on Tuesday. He has been charged with assault with intent to rob, police said. |
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what a ****.
should bring back hanging |
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Chap who was mugged was on TV last week seems quite capable of looking after himself ,bar some lump of dirt attacking him,
he has been disabled since birth, his mum caught german measles while pregnant ,the offender is better off in custody he would not last long walking the streets of Gateshead..  |
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the perp has an unusual name so people will know him.
Lets's hope he's bailed.................  |
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I will bet money he has handed himself in .. |
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Looks like a ****.
. https://www.facebook.com/richard.gatiss |
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any relation to actor Mark Gatiss??
from same area |