Carly Burd was devastated. In the video she posted on TikTok, she couldn’t hold back tears. Burd had set up a charitable project in the English town of Harlow to help those in need: she grew vegetables in an allotment garden, which then mainly benefited families with children who were suffering from money problems because of inflation.
A very noble idea, but apparently not everyone liked it. Unknown people had dumped salt on the ground, according to Burd about five kilos. “It wasn’t a silly boy prank, it was adults who knew exactly what they were doing,” said Carly Burd. Affected were beds in which potatoes and onions were planted. “I also can’t grow anything new because it won’t grow,” Burd says through tears in the video. “They did it everywhere.” Plants cannot absorb nutrients and water properly on salty soil and therefore cannot thrive. And that was apparently the intention of the vandals.
“What was particularly heartbreaking was that the bulbs were planted by kids who put a lot of effort into it,” Burd explained. However, the vandalism has had a very tangible impact on families who depend on the food from Burd’s garden because they can hardly afford fresh vegetables given the sharp rise in prices. By her own account, Burd has supported more than 1,600 people with homegrown vegetables from her garden and through donations since September last year. The destroyed potatoes and onions could have supplied 300 people, she says.
But after Burd has done so much for the community, she got something in return. Her TikTok video has been viewed nearly five million times, and her dedication has been recognized across the UK. Even English football legend Gary Lineker took notice: “Why would anyone do something like that?” he tweeted. Thanks to the public attention, Burd’s aid project can now continue. An online fundraiser raised more than £240,000 to help families at this difficult time.
“It was like a whirlwind, we are so, so grateful,” says the mother of three children about the support. Meanwhile, the police are looking for the unknown perpetrators.
Sources: Carly Burd on TikTok / BBC / GoFundMe
