Gary Lineker shows support for charity allotment after it was vandalised

By Sarah Ping, PA

Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker has shown his support for a charity allotment, which provides fresh fruit and vegetables to those struggling amidst the cost-of-living crisis, after it was vandalised.

Carly Burd, from Harlow, Essex, created the A Meal On Me With Love initiative to help people on benefits, low-income earners and pensioners, by providing organic produce, and has since started a Go Fund Me page, which has earned nearly £63,000.

One of the top donations was listed as being from Gary Lineker, with the star tweeting “Why would you ever do something like that?”.

Why would you ever do something like that? 😡 https://t.co/xWV47gMF0q

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 12, 2023

Ms Burd, who is known as carlyburd43 on TikTok, shared with her 17,000 followers that she was left “absolutely heartbroken” after salt was poured over her plot.

Holding back tears, Ms Burd said in her video: “I’m absolutely heartbroken. Someone’s jumped over in the night and put salt all over the land.

“That means everything I’ve planted won’t grow and I can’t replant on it because it won’t grow.

“All the hours and hours and hours of work that we’ve put in is now dead, and they’ve done it everywhere.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@carlyburd43/video/7220895128313924869

The gardener showed viewers her ruined allotment featuring rugged soil and piles of salt.

“How could you do that?” she said.

Despite the vandalism, Ms Burd insisted that it “won’t stop me” and pledges to continue her initiative.

“You won’t stop me because I’ll just pick it all up and carry on… you won’t stop me whatsoever.”

Boxes containing fruit and vegetables grown in Ms Burd’s garden, as well as dry foods and other essentials, are distributed to households through the scheme.

The gardener, who lives with multiple sclerosis (MS) and lupus, shared her sympathy for those struggling through the cost-of-living crisis.

“I’m on disability so I have to keep the cost down,” she wrote on her Go Fund Me page.

“I can’t sit back and watch people struggle; not being able to feed their kids or go without food so they can have the heating on.

“Last year I went without heating, having MS with no heating is horrific. Why are we left to live like this?”

To support Ms Burd’s cause, visit the Go Fund Me page https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-meal-on-me-with-love