A charity is appealing for information after its month-old mobile library for homeless communities was stolen from outside Wanstead Quaker Meeting House.
On Wednesday, October 23, Quaker Homeless Action discovered that its new mobile library van had been stolen from the car park in Bush Road where it had been left for the last fortnight.
The van was due to have shelves fitted and books installed to support the team in making books available to homeless communities in London.
The van, a white VW Crafter, registration plate GM66 SDX, was less than a month old.
It was purchased on September 24 as the old van did not comply with the Ultra-Low Emmissions Zone (Ulez) charges which would have seen the volunteer-led group paying £10 a week alongside congestion charges up to £72 each week.
The current van's gearbox has nearly given out and the new vehicle would ensure the books remain on the road and the services could continue.
The theft has been reported to the police and insurers, the charity said, but they are keen to hear if anyone has any information about the whereabouts of the van.
Ed Kirton-Darling, a trustee of Quaker Homeless Action and the mobile library driver, said: "We are a small, volunteer-led charity, and a new library van is a huge investment for us in terms of time and effort.
"We are all really upset that this has happened, and would be just delighted if we could recover it somehow."
Quaker Homeless Action was last week acknowledged in the mayor of London Sadiq Khan's volunteering awards for "being amazing Londoners".
Help raise funds for a new van by donating here.
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