A KIND-HEARTED Ardrossan mum is trying to raise £1,000 for a family who lost all their belongings in a devastating inferno.

Last week the Herald reported that five-year-old Sarah Alexander and her parents Andrea and Willie lost everything, including their cat, when their home in Whitecraig Road was destroyed by fire.

Following the devastating blaze, family friend Claire Bruce decided to set up a Just Giving page to raise money to help the Alexanders rebuild their lives.

Claire, a stay-at-home mum from Ardrossan, told the Herald: “It would be horrible to lose all your personal belongings like that. All their Christmas presents and family photos are gone. It’s just dreadful.

“For them to lose their wee cat is such a shame. I know what it’s like to lose a cat and it’s horrible because they become a family member. It must be absolutely devastating for them.”

As the Herald reported last week, the Alexander family were lucky to have been out when an explosion, thought to have been caused by an electrical fault, sparked a fire that spread through the whole house on Tuesday, January 12.

The blaze was so bad that firefighters had to cut away extensive parts of the interior to make sure that it had been fully extinguished. Sadly, the family’s beloved cat was in the property at the time and died from smoke inhalation.

Claire, who is best friends with Andrea’s sister Linzi, said: “I was trying to figure out ways in which I could help them. I couldn’t donate clothes so I thought maybe I could give money.

“Many people in the community who wanted to help can’t give clothes or furniture so it’s a good idea to try and raise money instead. It will hopefully help the family get back on their feet. I thought £1,000 was an ideal figure. It could go towards things like carpets, furniture – anything really that can go into storage until they get a new house. It could even help towards food at the moment.”

The Herald has learned that our report on the fire has urged many people in the local community to help Andrea, Willie and Sarah. One resident came into the Herald office and dropped off a bag of clothes for us to pass on, while others have approached the family with donations themselves.

Andrea said: “The community have been brilliant, especially Claire and my sister Linzi and all my family and friends. It’s overwhelming.

“Claire came over the other night and said that she’d set this fundraising page up for me so that everything would be there for us when we moved into our new house. It’s so kind of her.

“The amount of people who have asked how they can help is amazing. It’s unbelievable. A lady came up the other night and gave Sarah a TV and a doll. They weren’t even opened – they were brand new – and she had wrapped them all up for her. It was really, really nice.”

Andrea, Willie and Sarah are currently living in temporary accommodation in Lawson Drive but according to Andrea, it could be six to eight months before the family are rehoused to somewhere permanent.

A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council, said: “Households who approach the council for assistance are placed within temporary accommodation until suitable permanent housing can be secured. The average duration is currently 26 weeks. However, this can vary depending on the needs of the individual, the choice of area and the type of house required.”

To donate to Claire’s campaign for the Alexander family, visit the Just Giving page athttps://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/claire-bruce.