Members of the Shinfield community have banded together to raise over £1,000 for a young family who ‘lost everything’ in a house fire this week.

Aga, Machin and Aniella, who live on Westall Street in Shinfield Meadows, escaped unharmed when a fire broke out at their home in the early hours of Sunday morning (July 28) – but the same can’t be said for their belongings, with “the house and (all) its contents completely destroyed” by the blaze.

As with most tragedies, a silver lining has been the generosity and kindness of others living nearby – many of whom offered Aga and Machin “clothes, toiletries and other essentials” in the immediate wake of the incident.

Although the damages will be covered by house insurance, neighbour Rachel Walker also set up a GoFundMe page for the family on Tuesday (July 30) and has so far managed to raise £1,902 to “give a boost” and take the pressure off the young family – exceeding its target of £1,000 in under a week.

On the fundraiser page, Rachel wrote: “As a community, we are beyond heartbroken for them. Lots of neighbours and friends have asked how they can help (further), and we thought the most practical help we can give at this time is funds to enable them to begin to rebuild their lives.

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“Their daughter Aniella, who is just three-years-old, has lost all of her beloved unicorn toys and teddies and so, as parents, this will enable them to provide some comfort to her.

“They would appreciate any help possible, even if you can donate (just) a few pounds.”

Fire trucks from five Berkshire stations were dispatched to Westall Street at around 1:55am on July 28, where crews worked for over two hours to put out a blaze on the ground floor of a semi-detached house.

While the cause of the incident has not been confirmed, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service described it as a ‘domestic property fire’, with firefighters using breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets and a hydrant to tackle the flames.

Emergency services returned to the scene on Monday morning to reinspect the property. There are not thought to have been any casualties.

To share your support and donate to the fundraiser, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-shinfield-family-after-house-fire?modal=donations&tab=all.