Flood volunteer efforts – can you help?
The floods may have gone, but the need for volunteers to help with the recovery in parts of Somerset remains as great as ever. And people continue to volunteer. Each day around 25 people have been turning up to assist those affected by flooding, doing everything from cleaning houses and removals, to gardening and DIY.
Somerset County Council is now funding a specialist group, Somerset Emergency Volunteers (SEV), to co-ordinate the efforts of these volunteers and make sure they can be deployed where they are most needed. Based in the Old School Building at Burrowbridge seven days a week, the group will act as the main point of contact for anyone who thinks they need help from volunteers – or for anyone who wants to volunteer themselves.
The group is a joint project between Mendip Community Support and South Somerset Association for Voluntary and Community Action, which are led by Paula Blight and Sam Best. Paula is enthusiastic about the project “We’d love to invite a restaurant or café or even a celebrity chef to make a guest appearance one day and cater for all the helpers.”
You can contact SEV by calling the Burrowbridge base on 01823 698300 or emailing info@somersetev.org.uk