Young volunteers help their community during floods
| Two young British Red Cross volunteers helped out after floods devastated their local community in Morpeth, Northumberland earlier this month.
Eighteen-year-old Ryan O’Connor and Andrew Phizacklea (25), were part of a team of Red Cross staff and volunteers supporting more than 1,000 people forced to leave their homes when a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours and the River Wansbeck breached its walls on 6 September. | | | 
| |
Despite his own home being under threat, Ryan, who has volunteered with the Red Cross providing first aid support at events, provided much-needed practical help and comfort.
Flood damage
Ryan said: “Some people were traumatised by what had happened – they literally didn’t speak. It’s terrible to lose all your belongings, but it’s the personal things that really matter: one lady lost all the cards her grandchildren had made for her birthday. She was very upset.
“I was just pleased to be able to be involved - there’s no way I could sit back and do nothing.”
Andrew has volunteered with the Red Cross for eight years. He said: “In some cases a couple of inches of water had damaged areas of their house, for others eight feet of water had ruined the entire downstairs of the building. Everyone responds differently in a crisis, so I tried to listen to what each individual needed.”
Royal praise for volunteers
Ryan and Andrew were also among staff and volunteers thanked by HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who visited Morpeth to offer support for those affected by the flooding.
The royal couple met and thanked the team of Red Cross emergency response staff and volunteers who helped during the floods and are now supporting people in the community as they rebuild their lives.
Andrew would highly recommend volunteering with the Red Cross: “It’s fantastic to be part of a team and get hands-on experience of supporting people in my community, especially in an emergency. It’s rewarding to help people who genuinely need it. I’d recommend it to anyone,” he said.
How to prepare for flooding in your area
More about emergency response
Become an emergency response volunteer
Learn about first aid | |
|
