Kind-hearted people raise over £285,000 to help those affected by South Yorkshire floods

Kind-hearted people from across Doncaster and beyond have come together to raise an incredible £285,000 to help those affected by floods in the borough.
85 year old Eileen Purnell and her dog Noodles are removed from the rear of a 4x4 after being rescued by volunteers from her flooded home in Fishlake.85 year old Eileen Purnell and her dog Noodles are removed from the rear of a 4x4 after being rescued by volunteers from her flooded home in Fishlake.
85 year old Eileen Purnell and her dog Noodles are removed from the rear of a 4x4 after being rescued by volunteers from her flooded home in Fishlake.

In just a matter of days, a total of £302,791.23 has been raised for the South Yorkshire flood disaster relief appeal.

It was set up by the South Yorkshire Community Foundation (SYCF) following the torrential rain that began on November 7 and led to hundreds of homes and businesses in the region being flooded.

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Speaking on Twitter, a spokesman for Doncaster Council said: “Wow! Over £285,000 has been raised by the local community, local businesses and beyond to support those affected by the flooding.

Large parts of Doncaster were flooded when one month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours (SWNS)Large parts of Doncaster were flooded when one month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours (SWNS)
Large parts of Doncaster were flooded when one month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours (SWNS)

“A huge thank you to everyone involved.”

Donations have been made through SYCF’s Just Giving page, which you can visit by clicking here.

Data from the fundraising page reveals that an impressive £1,007 has been made through fundraisers, with the rest being split between direct and offline donations.

Shannon Roberts, Communication Manager of SYCF confirmed they had raised 83 per cent of their £100,000 target on Tuesday, November 12, which means over £215,000 has been raised in the seven days since.

A resident of Yarborough Terrace in Doncaster is helped from a boat after being taken from her home as flood waters rise from the River DonA resident of Yarborough Terrace in Doncaster is helped from a boat after being taken from her home as flood waters rise from the River Don
A resident of Yarborough Terrace in Doncaster is helped from a boat after being taken from her home as flood waters rise from the River Don
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The SYCF started talks about setting up an appeal when the heavy rain flooded their office in on Brightside Lane, Sheffield on November 7.

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Flood relief fundraiser hits £85,000 to help victims in South Yorkshire

“We want to help as many people as possible - the money will go towards households that have been affected across South Yorkshire,” said Shannon.

She added: “It can help with the cleanup, food, heating.

An aerial shot of Yarborough Terrace in Bentley.An aerial shot of Yarborough Terrace in Bentley.
An aerial shot of Yarborough Terrace in Bentley.

“We ran an appeal during the 2007 floods and we raised £1.7 million.”

In a few days, the appeal will open to the victims of the floods and people and organisations will be able to apply for funding.

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“It’s been heartwarming to see how much people have been helping their communities - if people want to donate every penny really does help.” she continued.

On Thursday, the Government responded to criticism of its support of affected communities by saying it had been offering assistance since the first day of the flooding on November 8.

Homes are submerged by rising flood water in Yarborough Terrace.Homes are submerged by rising flood water in Yarborough Terrace.
Homes are submerged by rising flood water in Yarborough Terrace.

Part of this had come from the Bellwin scheme, operated by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to help local councils.

"Under Bellwin, local authorities dealing with the flooding can apply to have 100 per cent of their eligible costs, above a threshold, reimbursed by the Government. This could be for items including rest centres, temporary accommodation and staff overtime," the Ministry said in a statement.

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The Ministry said the Government had also activated its Flood Recovery Framework, which helps local authority districts with more than 25 flooded households.

This frees up funding to give eligible households and businesses ‘immediate relief’ from their council tax and business rates for at least the next three months.

Bentley and Fishlake in Doncaster are the worst hit areas in the region.

Farmers help emergency services rescue people from their homes in Fishlake.Farmers help emergency services rescue people from their homes in Fishlake.
Farmers help emergency services rescue people from their homes in Fishlake.

On Friday, the Environment Agency (EA) continued to pump water out of Fishlake.

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Army soldiers had been working since Wednesday to lay down sandbags and firm up flood defences in the area and in neighbouring Stainforth, but have since been removed.

EA spokesman John Curtin said 38 pumps have been used in Fishlake, adding that all houses in the village should be free of water by Sunday.

Doncaster Council said 970 homes and businesses in the town had been affected since the rain started on November 7.

On Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose response to the floods has been criticised by some of those affected, announced that the worst-impacted households and businesses would be eligible for immediate relief on their council tax and business rates.