Children's nursery 'absolutely blown away' by donations after flooding in Blyth

A nursery in Blyth that was damaged by a flood after heavy rainfall last week has received nearly £2,500 in donations to help it reopen.

Kerrie's Cherubs, on Croft Road, has an excess of £10,000 on its insurance policy because it’s in a flood risk area.

As heavy rainfall hit the North East on Wednesday 9 October, water levels rapidly rose and the nursery had water gushing through the front door.

Nursery manager Faye Young said it took just 45 minutes for the nursery to become flooded.

"The amount of rain that fell and the damage that has been caused is just unbelievable," she said

She added that after moving the children upstairs to safety, staff contacted parents who "were amazing and came as quick as they could."

As parents arrived, she said staff members "waded their way through the street and carried the children to safety."

Along with much of the play equipment, all of the flooring and skirting boards have had to be thrown out.

The business’s owner, Kerrie Barratt, said there had been tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage, and while she hoped the insurance would pay out, "we haven’t just got thousands of pounds lying in the bank account" to cover the excess on the policy.

However, she added, "without it you can't go to the insurance and start putting things right".

A fundraising page has received nearly £2,500 in donations, while parents have chipped in to buy replacement learning resources for the nursery.

People’s generosity has left Kerrie "absolutely blown away by the donations and the kind of support that we've had. People out there really do care."