A society in Maidstone says it has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the public since launching a fundraiser for a new roof after its club house was targeted by vandals.

Maidstone Model Engineering Society (MMES), based in Mote Park, had hoped to raise £5,000, just half of what is needed to fix the roof, but it quickly surpassed the total and is now just shy of £9,000.

Donations came flooding in on the Go Fund Me page from well-wishers supporting the society which has been offering families memorable days out for 70 years.

Committee member Tom Parham said: "The response has been overwhelming and we are so thankful for the donations that we have been sent.

"It is never nice to have something like this happen but we have to look at the positives.

"The comments and the nice gestures remind you how thoughtful the community is.

"We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated, every penny is appreciated."

The damage was caused by people spotted jumping on the roof.

This is not the first time the club has been targeted. Mr Parham explained previously, lights on the outside of the building were regular targets for vandals to smash and a fence was once bent by people jumping on it.

Since the plea for help, Mr Parham said at least four companies have also offered their services to help repair the damage.

One of those businesses was Elite Roofing, a firm which launched just three months ago.

Directors Jordan Jones, 25, and Nathan Maskell, 35, both have fond memories of taking their kids for a ride on the railway.

Mr Jones said: "Myself and my business partner used to take the dogs for a walk down at Mote Park and then we would take the kids on the train and we've always had a great time.

"With the way the world is at the moment, it felt quite fitting to offer to help them out and do the job for free."

The generous offers mean the society can use the additional funds to repair internal damage to the building which would otherwise have had to wait until they were allowed to reopen.

Mr Parham added: "We never considered the damage that had been done to the inside and this means we might have enough to sort those problems out too.

"If it wasn't for people's kindness we might have had to put the cost of rides up slightly to raise the money quicker but this means we probably won't have to now."

For the last 20 years, rides have cost just 30p per person, per ride, making it a family favourite destination through the generations.

The group has only ever charged enough to cover the running costs and hopes this tradition can continue.

To donate to the cause, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Maidstone