As secretary of the charity commission, having spent the last seven months planning a fundraising event on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust's Nurse Appeal, I was devastated when 16 caravans pulled in and parked on Carden Park, the venue for the event, days before it was due to go ahead.
Instead of calling the police, who could not have done anything about the situation anyway, I spoke to the inhabitants of every caravan, describing the event and its history and leaving them in no doubt about how distressed I was at their presence on the park at that particular time.
Voluntarily, they all promised they would move off the site well before the event started. But when travellers continued to arrive, my spirits sunk further. There was no way in the world I could see them moving in time.
On the evening before the big day, the caravans started leaving. I was watching in disbelief when one of the men I had spoken to previously told me they were keeping their promise and wished us well for our day.
I would like to send a message of thanks to this group of travellers for keeping their promise and helping restore my faith in human beings.
-Rita Bamber, Cuckmere Way, Hollingbury
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