Good Samaritan gives cash envelope reward money to charity

A GOOD Samaritan who handed in an envelope containing more than £1,000 he had found in a Yeovil street has given his reward money to charity.

The Yeovil Press followed up an appeal made a week ago today on Facebook site, Yeovil Real News, by Clare Edmonds for help in finding an envelope her partner, self-employed plumber John Ansell, had unwittingly dropped while walking to the bank on January 18.

While people scoured the Goldcroft and Crofton Avenue area of the town to help the couple, most probably thought deep down that somebody had already found the envelope – containing £890 in cash and a £140 cheque – and were now enjoying their unexpected windfall.

But think again! Clare announced on Wednesday that somebody had walked into Yeovil Police Station and handed it in.

The following day the very relieved couple, who have a young daughter, met the Good Samaritan and presented him with a £100 reward.

But Clare said: ‘’He was so lovely. He is going to donate the reward to a hospice for cancer patients.

‘’It is a lovely ending to what had been quite a few worrying days.’’

She had said that the money was what John had earned from a recent job and he was on his way to the bank with it when he suddenly suffered that earth shattering moment when he realised that the envelope had fallen out of his clothing.

‘’We were absolutely devastated,’’ said Clare. ‘’That is a lot of money to lose and we need it to pay bills and things.’’

As each day passed, the less hope was given to them being reunited with the magic envelope. But they then got the news that they were praying for that somebody had handed it in.

Clare said: ‘’Not wishing to speak unkindly, but the man who handed in the envelope was an elderly gentleman and hadn’t been looking on Facebook!!!!

‘’He had tried to make contact through the bank and the cheque which was in the envelope, but he hadn’t heard anything and that is why he then took it to the police station.’’

She added: ‘’It was great to meet him and thank him personally – he was lovely.’’

But give or take a few seconds and this story might have resulted in not such a happy ending.

‘’He told us that just a few steps away from him when he found the envelope lying next to a wall were a couple of lads,’’ she said. ‘’If they had been a few seconds earlier perhaps they may have found the envelope and who is to know whether they would have handed it in? Who knows.

‘’But thing is for sure – we are so happy that our Good Samaritan did find it!’’

And we at the Yeovil Press are sure that Clare’s partner John is more than just happy and will, no doubt,  take extra care the next time he ventures to the bank!

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