COMMUNITY Kit Bag founder Mat Mason-Hames has thanked everyone who has donated money to the project.

A tree fell on the storage and mobile shop trailer last Friday (February 18) during Storm Eunice, putting the community project – which delivers free and low-priced sports equipment to those in need – out of action for the time being.

The trailer is insured, but the Community Kit Bag team will need to replace the internal shop fitting and the graphics, and cover the excess.

A GoFundMe page has already raised more than £3,500 for the project since last Friday.

Mat said: “I thank everyone who has supported us on the road to recovery.

“I originally set a £1,000 target on the GoFundMe page, but I didn’t realise quite how loved we are.

“You hope you’re doing the right thing, but to smash through £1,000 in four hours left me speechless.

“We started doing this only late last year, but we’ve been so busy and grown so quickly – which I guess is a sign of the times.

“Had the tree fallen the other way it would have crushed the village playground, or had it fallen ten metres to the left it would have gone in someone’s house, so it was lucky it smashed a wooden box on wheels.

“Friday was a very bad day, but on Saturday I woke up in a different frame of mind.

“The outpouring of love from the local community has been amazing. I’m even more determined to come back better.”

Community Kit Bag is a Community Interest Company which operates a non-profit model.

The mobile shop accepts kit donations and then hands them out to those in need.

Kit donations have even come from Gallagher Premiership Rugby sides Harlequins and London Irish.

The Community Kit Bag has links with local clubs, including Haslemere Rugby Club, as well as other sports teams across the country.

Any profits made by the Community Kit Bag are invested in providing free mental health training for grassroots sports clubs across the country.

Cloud Nine Home Fragrance has also raised money for the Community Kit Bag project since Friday’s damage, donating some of the takings from its stall at the Original Factory Shop’s ‘meet the maker’ event on Sunday.

Anyone who would like to make a donation on the Community Kit Bag’s GoFundMe page should visit https://gf.me/v/c/h5dj/rebuild-the-community-kit-bag