We're a local grassroots football Club with over 320 children from across County Durham attending each week. For teams from under 11s upwards who no longer play at central venues on a weekend we have home pitches at Tudhoe, and had a horsebox on site for storage of essential matchday equipment.

Earlier this month our defibrillator was stolen - a piece of lifesaving equipment that we bring pitch side each weekend in case of medical emergencies. This alone was devastating to the Club, however on 21st November we were dealt another huge blow as we received news of a suspected arson attack on our storage unit.

We have lost all of our weekend match equipment including nets, corner posts and flags, first aid equipment and match balls along with equipment we use to undertake some pitch maintenance. Devastated is an understatement - our players cannot play at the pitches without this equipment, and we have incurred additional costs already hiring pitches elsewhere for the weekend ahead.

We anticipate the cost of replacement to be higher than the initial outlay, as we will now need to look to purchase a stronger storage unit and also will have to apply for planning permission to install it on site. We'll also have extra costs to clear the damaged horsebox, replace equipment and hire other facilities in the meantime.

At a time when money is tight, and Christmas is on the horizon this is the last thing we need. We're a local club with children from various backgrounds and we're here for them - for them to have access to the sport they love and for them to play in a safe, inclusive and accessible environment.

If you can help us rebuild what our children have lost, we will be extremely grateful.