The flood during Christmas and Boxing Day devastated the life of Britons in the North. The locals are still trying to put pieces together, having lost their homes, valuables and mostly all personal belongings, while snow and frost create havoc. Residents in parts of north-east Scotland have been freshly advised a week back to prepare for “residual impacts”. These are people who have almost lost everything to the nature's conspiracy. But despite the catastrophe, one good thing has come out of it- the disaster has brought together people who might never normally mix- from Sikh and Muslim volunteers to the individuals sending care parcels.
A special interfaith service was held at St James’s church in Hebden Bridge, that was attended by Muslim charities and Khalsa Aid, which prepared 6-8,000 hot meals across Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. A Muslim youth charity, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, said its 350 volunteers had worked 7,400 hours over the Christmas period, helping 10,000 people in 38 towns and villages. The Sikhs had also been dishing out free curry in Mytholmroyd for a few days when a man in his mid to late 20s came up to them, looking very emotional. “I used to hate Asians,” he told one of the coordinators from Khalsa Aid, a Sikh charity based in Slough, volunteering in the West Yorkshire town. “I used to be with Combat 18. But I’m so ashamed of that now, having seen how you are all up here helping us.” He took an oath to go and apologise to all the Asian shopkeepers he had been rude to over the years.
Ravi Singh, Khalsa Aid's CEO said, “These floods have changed people." His volunteer army diverted resources up to Deeside in Scotland, which flooded badly. “It’s been incredibly inspiring to see how people of all backgrounds have come together. There was no twiddling thumbs waiting for the government or authorities to help. They rallied around and they got stuck in. I think the experience will have a long-lasting effect on these communities.”
Locals were also stunned to see a group of Syrian refugees from Manchester turn up to shovel mud from the playground at the Burnley Road Academy, a primary school that was almost destroyed during the Boxing Day floods.
Yasser al-Jassem, a refugee who escaped Syria a few months ago, explained why they were there: “I volunteered when I was in Aleppo. I was an ambulance driver and helped with humanitarian rescue efforts when the Assad regime bombed civilian areas. Now, in the UK, I also want to volunteer, and so do many other Syrians who recognise the importance of humanitarian efforts like this one because of the destruction in our homeland…
“With everything that is happening in our homeland, it is nice to be helping where we can.”
Muslims in Newham come forward to assist flood victims
Lead councillors and mosques in Newham have raised £10,000 and assisted flood victims in the north of England in the massive clean up operation.
Councillor Mas Patel, lead councillor for Stratford and West Ham Community Neighbourhood and Councillor Salim Patel, lead councillor for Manor Park Community Neighbourhood worked with members of the Indian Muslim Federation - Newham and associated mosques in recent weeks to raise funds for families affected by the flooding.
Collections at Friday prayers in nine east London mosques, including six in Newham, resulted in a staggering £10,000 raised and more than 100 volunteers signing up to provide assistance for the massive clean-up operation.
Newham’s councillors then contacted local authorities in the region to find out how best to provide assistance.
York City Council’s Communities and Equalities Team gratefully accepted the offer of help after two rivers which go through the city over flowed and merged on Sunday 27 December.
On 9 January, 30 volunteers left London at 5am to clean up local parks and power-washing the silt off balconies at sheltered accommodation schemes. The group also distributed 500 meals to flood-affected residents and a local homeless project.
A further 60 volunteers, including Councillor Mas Patel and Councillor Ken Clark, cabinet member for building communities, are expected to make the journey north again this weekend to present the £10,000 cheque to the York Disaster Appeal and provide further assistance to the city.
The York Disaster Fund will use the money to give financial assistance for York residents whose homes have flooded, who are on low income, have little capital and are not adequately insured.
