Thousands raised for Toppers of Northwich after Piña Colada Festival

The Toppers of Northwich were left 'heartbroken' after seeing many of their decorations for the town’s Piña Colada Festival stolen and destroyed.

Since then, the local community has come together to raise more than £2,500 to ensure their work can continue.

Janet Guest, one of the group’s members, said: “The support that we have received, not only financially but verbally and personally from the majority of people, has shown us how much our work is appreciated by the people of Northwich and surrounding areas.

“It will enable us to assess what we need to do to move forward and continue brightening up the town and attracting visitors, promoting income for the local businesses.”

READ MORE: Community group 'devastated' as handmade decorations destroyed after festival

Piña Colada Festival decorations around Northwich were damaged and stolen (Image: Supplied)

The Toppers of Northwich have fully embraced the Piña Colada Festival since it launched in Northwich in 2021.

Over the years the group has built up a collection of handcrafted decorations which are displayed all over the town centre.

However, after the fourth edition of the festival on Saturday (August 17), the group found that more than half of their knitted and crocheted creations had been destroyed, damaged or stolen.

Among the items was a a postbox topper outside Rymans, most of the bollard covers and even a 10-foot-tall crocheted palm tree, which formed part of the display outside Goblin Coffee & Beer in Witton Walk.

Founder Katie Naylor Brown said: "Unfortunately overnight most of the knitted and crocheted Piña Colada decorations have been stolen, set alight or damaged.

"It was such an amazing day on Saturday, but for our community group, it's left us feeling heartbroken.

"We've been devastated to find over half the display gone or destroyed.

"We have built the display up over the last three years and the time and cost to replace it is unthinkable.”

She added: "We always get some vandalism, but what was done Saturday night was the total destruction of our work, I just don't know how we come back from this.

"We are a self-funded group, we don't have bags of money to replace the work.

"Toppers Of Northwich have loved decorating the town for the Piña Colada Festival, but we will have to rethink it for next year."

One of the decorations was set alight (Image: Supplied)

A GoFundMe was set up earlier this week, with £2,565 donated as of midday on Friday (August 23).

To support the group, visit www.gofundme.com/f/toppers-of-northwich-pina-colada-festival-yarn-bomb or drop off donations of yarn at The Very Green Grocery or Shurlach Methodist Church.

Anyone who finds any of the missing items is asked to contact Katie via kathrynbrown1871@gmail.com.