Flood Victims Welcome Advice Bureau Rescue
22 July 2009
Morpeth residents left devastated following the 2008 flash floods have praised the support they received from their local advice bureau and are relieved the service will now continue.
Morpeth Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) was faced with closure earlier this year as additional requests for services saw annual running costs rocket to £70,000. In June a merger between Morpeth CAB and DAWN Advice, a Northumberland-based charity which offers free independent legal advice, has allowed the bureau to continue its services.
Now John Short, of High Stanners who was distraught to find his bungalow submerged in four feet of water after the River Wansbeck burst its banks last September, is thrilled the agency will still be on-hand to offer further support to residents.
John, 71, accessed the advice services in the aftermath of the floods and has said that the bureau has become invaluable to people living across Northumberland. "It was a definite comfort knowing that the Citizens Advice Bureau was there after the floods as I really couldn't have managed without their help," John said.
As with many of the flood victims, John found himself without the appropriate insurance. "Everything was completely destroyed and I didn't know what to do. I contacted the citizens advice in Morpeth and they told me about a Government fund which would help me back on my feet. The staff and volunteers were wonderful - they helped me complete my forms, chased the claim up for me and offered a great deal of support.
"I was really delighted to hear that DAWN Advice had stepped in to help Morpeth CAB carry on. I know a lot of people who have used the services and they have all been more than happy with the results - and I'm sure they will be just as pleased about the merger," John added.
During the floods, which saw over a month's worth of rain fall in just 24 hours, more than 900 homes were affected and damages in excess of £40million were caused across the market town.
The floods also left Deborah Bamford's home in Middlegreens with significant damage, including a water-logged gas meter and no gas supply. After struggling to have her case dealt with by her gas provider she consulted Morpeth CAB.
Deborah said: "There was so much to deal with following the floods and it was extremely frustrating because my gas supplier refused to deal with the situation and I had so many other things which needed to be sorted too. I spoke with a member of the Morpeth Citizens Advice Bureau team at the Town Hall and they took over immediately. It was a real weight lifted from my mind and I could concentrate on getting my home put back together as quickly as possible."
Thanks to Morpeth CAB's intervention Deborah had a new meter fitted three weeks later and the gas supply restored to her family home.
As DAWN Advice takes over the running of the Morpeth CAB people living across Morpeth and its surrounding towns will continue to benefit from the vital information and advice.
Liz Chadwick, Chief Executive of DAWN Advice, said: "Since it opened in 1974, Morpeth CAB has helped thousands of people overcome a range of issues including benefits and social security, consumer problems, legal queries and family/personal matters.
"Many of the people who access these services do so regularly, and it has - in turn - become an important lifeline for a lot of the town's residents so we were extremely keen to be able to help keep Morpeth CAB open.
"We have over ten years of experience in providing quality-assured legal advice to people from across the region who are dealing with a wide range of issues, so joining together with Morpeth CAB has been a natural progression for the organisation."
Set up in 1998, DAWN Advice is a Northumberland-based social enterprise and a member of the UK's largest network of free, advice-providing organisations, adviceuk and will now become a Member of the National Association of Citizen's Advice Bureau. It offers advice and information on a number of issues including debt, housing, employment, welfare benefits and family law.