Money stolen from child’s vegetable stall

Tuesday 26 September 2017

Thieves have stolen money from a stall selling vegetables grown by a five-year-old boy and his grandparents.

Adelina D’Orleans – mother to aspiring grower Winter (pictured) – went to check the honesty box of the Grantez-based stall in St Ouen last week and was disappointed to find that all of the notes had been stolen. Only the copper coins remained.

Upon finding out, she chose not to tell Winter straight away. “I can’t face telling a five-year-old boy that the world can be such a horrible place sometimes,” she said.

But it wasn’t the money lost that concerned the family. “[It’s] the trust lost in what has been a really positive experience for all of us as a family,” she told Express.

“We all go out and water the plants, pick them when ready, cook with them and share meals as a family with what we have grown. My parents grow a lot more and have supplied some of the vegetables to restaurants they used to run (they retired just this year), and Winter and my daughter Amelie have followed in their footsteps and enjoy growing too. Plus like so many families on the Island, we have planted the Goodness Gang seeds from the co-op and produced an incredible amount of cucumbers, herbs, carrots, peppers - loads of veggies!”

Pictured: Winter had enjoyed taking part in the Co-op's Goodness Gang planting initiative, and sold the items he had grown on the stall. (Channel Islands Co-operative)

Mrs D’Orleans is now appealing for information about the theft, and added that her family would be more than happy to even assist the apparent thieves if they are struggling – but only if they can be honest. “We would hate to think that anyone was struggling or took the money because they desperately needed it… We discussed what happened and all agreed that if someone was in need of help, in need of the food then we would be more than happy for them to take some. They could repay one day when they were able to, or even forward on a good deed to someone else when they were in the position to.”

Despite the negative experience, she said that the family would continue on their growing mission, and would not allow the incident to dissuade her that Jersey people were anything other than “kind and good.”

“This is an unfortunate incident that I hope isn't repeated to anyone. Just looking at all the messages of support is enough to prove what a wonderful community we have here in Jersey and that's what I will continue to tell my children as they grow up.”