A charity that lost thousands of dollars of equipment to thieves has recovered the stolen items thanks to the help of a Good Samaritan.

Raiders stole $10,000 worth of equipment – including ceiling fans, washing machines, and a dryer – from the Transformational Living Centre in Pembroke last month. The centre is currently under construction and the new equipment had yet to be installed.

But following a tip-off from a member of the public, the charity was able to retrieve the stolen goods.

On Friday the charity received an anonymous phone call from someone who said the stolen items were hidden in a field in Devonshire.

Staff went to the scene and found the washers and dryer hidden under tarpaulin, although the ceiling fans were missing.

The TLC for Families was spearheaded by Sheelagh Cooper, the chairwoman of Habitat for Humanity of Bermuda, and Elaine Butterfield, the executive director of the Women’s Resource Centre.

Today Mrs Cooper praised the person who called to assist, claiming that their actions had restored her faith in humanity.

She added that the Good Samaritan had possibly put their life in danger in order to “do the right thing”.

“It couldn’t have been an easy decision – they must have felt very frightened,” she said.

“This restores our faith in the fundamental goodness of most people.

“It also renews our commitment to reach out to those who are struggling so that our children can all grow up in a safe and nurturing environment.

“Goodness and integrity have prevailed.

“Our plea to the community to help us find our stolen appliances may have seemed rather ‘Pollyannish’ at the time, but I find that if you expect the best of people, most of the time that’s what you will get.”

Ms Cooper said that, although the items had been damaged, they were still “perfectly useable”.

“They’re still very much in tact and so we’re very grateful,” she said.

Although the ceiling fans were not recovered, the charity did receive replacements from local supplier ESC.

A security firm has also installed surveillance cameras and other safety equipment free-of-charge to ensure the property is not targeted again.

“That’s just another part of this amazing story,” Ms Cooper said.

The Transformational Living Centre will provide accommodation to ten homeless families when it opens next month.