New charity launched in response to floods

A new charity has been launched in South Cumbria in response to the floods in December 2015.

Hope Community will work on long-term issues identified during the floods of December 2015.

More properties were flooded by Storms Desmond and Eva in Kendal than anywhere else in Cumbria.

Volunteers from Sandylands Methodist Church in Kendal have spent the last 14 months working with some of the communities hardest hit.

In going into people's homes to help them after the floods, the volunteers discovered much bigger problems that weren't being fully addressed, such as loneliness and child poverty.

So now one of those workers, Jonny Gios, has set up the charity Hope Community to help long-term.

He says they found a lot of people who felt isolated, not just older residents but also 18 to 30 year olds, typically men.

The number of people asking for help with their mental health has also doubled since the floods.

The charity will work with churches to help them work in their communities and will collaborate with other charities to connect families with multiple concerns to people who can help.

One of those charities is the Adullam Programme, which runs a recovery programme for people struggling with addiction or with emotional, financial or relationship problems.

The emotional and financial effects of the floods may last for many more years.

Hope Community aims to help people recover.