Cumbria County Council thanks education welfare service staff and others for their hard work and support to hundreds of people effected by the floods over the past week. Staff were on hand, day and night at the reception centres at North Cumbria Technology College and Wigton Road Methodist Church.
Hundreds of people affected by the flooding have needed overnight accommodation at the centres. During that time education welfare staff were answering hundreds of phonecalls that came into the centres from worried relatives of the people worst affected by the floods. Staff were making sure that people at the centres had the medication they needed as well as getting support from the voluntary organisations to people who need it. One of the education welfare officers acted as a translator to some of the non-English speaking people at the centre getting them the help they needed as well as keeping them informed of what was happening.
County councillor Joan Stocker, cabinet member for education said:
"These reception centres have helped thousands of people through this traumatic week. Staff from the county council's education service have done a fantastic job working at the centres providing invaluable support to the people using the centres as well as to their families. The staff have been an extremely important link between the emergency services, voluntary organisations such as the WRVS, Red Cross, St Johns Ambulance and the Salvation Army. Staff have worked extremely long hours, they have done it on a purely voluntary basis and have been greatly valued."
Director of Cumbria County Council's education service, Victoria Ashfield said:
"I was touched by the tremendous commitment from these members of staff and many others including staff from Client Services and Property Unit, Health and Safety and school staff to supporting members of the community hit by damage from the storms. I’m proud to say that we’ve had such a response from members of the caring professions, and I’m pleased to thank all those who have helped."