The lovely way a Melbourne neighbourhood is helping an elderly veteran after a brazen attack

A Melbourne neighbourhood has banded together to ensure an elderly veteran can complete his daily walk without fear.

Ralph Wollmer, 88, was the victim of a brazen, violent theft earlier this month, which left him shaken.

A thug in a car set upon him when he was on his daily walk in Cheltenham at about 11.30am on July 11.

He was approached from behind and fell to the ground as his bag — containing his wallet, $250 cash, house keys, car keys and a gold business card case which his mother gave him 60 years ago — was snatched.

One of Mr Wollmer’s neighbours, Mel Ward, saw a story about the cruel theft on the news and realised she lived a street away from the victim.

“I jumped on our local community Facebook page and just put a call out to everybody in the Cheltenham region … to create a walking club so that Ralph felt like he had some company,” she told Neil Mitchell.

The post was a huge success, with over 500 people responding.

“We’ve got a meeting spot at 10.30am and whoever is available to walk with Ralph turns up and we have a walk and a good chinwag,” Ms Ward said.

Mr Wollmer says the situation has made him realise how many good people there are in his neighbourhood.

“There are some very, very good people in the world,” he said.

“It makes you realise just what your community contains.”

Press PLAY below to hear what prompted Mel Ward to set up the walking group + how the gesture made Ralph Wollmer feel

Image: Nine News