The Pinchen family and staff from the Tudor Hotel were left heartbroken on New Year’s Day after a charity barrel with more than $3000 in cash was stolen from the bar in the early hours of the morning.

The proceeds were to help support Lily Pinchen, who is recovering from surgery to correct a severe case of scoliosis.

The cash was raised from various bar fundraisers and barbecues.

A man was charged in connection to the crime and is currently before the courts.

When all was thought to be lost, hotel manager Dean Hoy said the community got behind the family again, with about $4500 raised for Lily’s future expenses.

“We started fundraising again,” Mr Hoy said.

“This was through the Go Fund Me page and we put another bucket on the bar and tied it down and we had some big donations from people.

“A gentlemen came over and gave us a $500 cheque.”

Mr Hoy said staff were pleased that the community was still getting behind the cause.

“For people to come back and donate again, it makes me believe in society again – there’s a great element to people,” he said.

Lily Pinchen said she was grateful for the continued support and she also planned to donate an amount of the money raised to Ronald McDonald House, who have assisted her and her family.

“They have helped us out with accommodation when I was in hospital,” she said.

Her mother Cherie, who is also an employee of the Tudor Hotel, said she was overwhelmed by the response to her daughter’s condition.

“I’m really grateful they still got behind us,” she said.

“Lily will going be going back to John Hunter for the next years for check ups so this will just go into a fund to help the cost.

“We just want to thank the Tudor Hotel, Dean (Hoy), Carla (Chudleigh) and the community for their donations.”