Village unites to replace 'stolen' cancer bows

A community has rallied to replace seven giant gold bows, used to raise awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, after they were believed to have been stolen.

The bows form part of the annual Hassocks Goes Gold trail in the village High Street every September.

The event was set up by Rachel Bartlett-Bundy in memory of her daughter Pearl, who died from Ewing sarcoma - a type of bone cancer - aged just 10 in 2017.

This year's Giant Gold Bow Trail features 122 bows, each representing hours of work and support from local residents and businesses.

Abigail Look, from Love Art Studios, said the bows were believed to have been stolen after disappearing between 7 and 9 September.

As they had been attached to trees, organisers believed they were deliberately removed.

"After we discovered they had gone missing we searched everywhere, including in bins, and couldn't find them," she said.

In a social media post, Rachel said the incident had been reported to police and appealed for information.

She said she was "heartbroken" by the bows' disappearance, having "poured her heart and soul" into the Hassocks Gold Trail each year.

Abigail told BBC Radio Sussex that within hours of Rachel's post about the missing bows, the community responded.

She said Liz Hollingdale, who works at Downlands Community School, asked the school's design and technology department to recreate the missing bows.

Abigail then hosted a get-together at Proper Cycling & Coffee for volunteers to paint them gold.

She told the BBC it was "lovely" to see residents and local businesses doing their part to help Rachel.

"We wanted something positive to come from this and for even more people to understand why Hassocks turns gold every September," she added.

"The bows may have disappeared, but they've ended up shining an even bigger light on Hassocks Goes Gold."

Hassocks Goes Gold, which started in 2019, aims to raise awareness and research funds for Childhood Cancer.

Rachel is also a finalist in the BBC Make a Difference Awards which is taking place on Tuesday.

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