£11,500 raised to help man who posted plea for help on garden gate
People have donated more than £11,500 to a man in Nottingham after he hung a note on his gate asking for help.
The 59-year-old man, known as William, asked for help via the note on his garden gate as he 'had no food or electricity.'
He lives alone following the death of his mother, and had been making ends meet by selling off furniture and games in garage sales until recently.
He put the sign outside his home in the hope that people walking past might bring him "a couple of tins of beans."
But within hours of the note being posted, William had received food from a food bank, and his heating and electricity were back on.
The generosity of others didn't stop there - as people then offered to bring him food, with one woman offering to bring him a hot dinner a couple of times a week.
People have also been donating money to William online, with one young person donating their pocket money. Someone also donated £1.78, with the message: "I can only apologise this is all I have in my bank account, we all fall on hard times including myself at the moment but we all need to help each other."
Craig Crawford, a businessman who's helping to raise support and donations for William, said: "It's heartbreaking but heartwarming seeing people give their their last penny to help him."
The money raised over far - over £11,500 - will be used to help William, and some will reportedly be set aside for other people in need.
Adult social care has also been contacted to try and help William claim benefits - as previously he'd been too proud to do so, saying that others were in greater need.
A Facebook page called 'Send William A Christmas Card & Help Him!' has also been created so people can send William a Christmas card. Cards can be sent to a PO box, which is currently being set up.
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