More than 300 toys meant for needy children were reduced to a melted smouldering mess after a suspected arson attack on a church community centre in Spence yesterday.
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Police have put the cost of structural damage to St Paul's Anglican Church Centre at more than $100,000, and St Paul's Reverend Doug Newman said the destroyed room had been used to store toys, along with pens, pencils, wrapping paper and boxes used to create Christmas gift packages for impoverished children in South-East Asia.
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The ACT Fire Brigade was called to the centre early yesterday morning and found a large skip bin on fire along with part of the community centre used for storage and processing.
The gifts had been purchased at the recent Boxing Day sales and were to be a part of Operation Christmas Child, a charity project the parish works on all year.
''We have a team of ladies who research the best prices on toys and then head out to buy them,'' Reverend Newman said.
This year churches in Canberra brought Christmas cheer to 20,000 children with their gifts.
Reverend Newman said he first learned of the blaze when he got a phone call from the fire brigade about 1am yesterday, and while he was disappointed at what had happened, the situation could have been a lot worse.
The centre provides between 50 and 60 meals a day to needy families, and the food preparation area had not been damaged.
''It really is just goods, and they can be replaced,'' he said
''In the big scheme of things the important things are people.''
Police believe the fire started in a large cardboard recycling bin or one of two plastic garbage bins outside the centre and are calling for any witnesses who saw suspicious behaviour in the area to come forward.
Reverend Newman said parishioners had already offered to help with the clean-up, but as the building was rented from the ACT Government, they had to wait for advice before they could begin.
''At the moment I'm turning them away, and asking them to ring around to say don't come down just yet, but parishioners will turn out on Saturday to help,'' he said.
Reverend Newman said the church itself had not been damaged, and services would go ahead as planned this Sunday despite the smell of smoke.
''While it stinks down there, I'm sure if we open the windows and spray some [air freshener] we'll be alright.''