Large parts of Northern England are suffering the worst flooding in
decades, but big-hearted bikers, Muslims and Sikhs have turned up to
offer their help in a touching display of solidarity.
On Boxing Day morning at 7 am, after months of heavy rain, we were
woken by the sound of flood sirens as the river Calder burst its banks.
Within an hour, the valley where I live in West Yorkshire, England,
was six feet underwater.
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Hebden Bridge resident Lisa Sciobtha posted
this image of the town on Facebook on Boxing Day morning. The scene was
the same all over the valley.
|
Hebden Bridge resident Lisa Sciobtha posted
this image of the town on Facebook on Boxing Day morning. The scene was
the same all over the valley.
The last time we saw flooding like this was back in 1968 and most were
not prepared, (or even insured) for the damage. The scene was the same
all over the north of England: in York, Leeds,
Manchester,
Lancashire and Cumbria, sinkholes opened up, the army was called in to
rescue those trapped in their homes, and whole buildings and bridges
collapsed into the deluge.
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A Christian, Muslim and Sikh share a touching hug at St James Church, Hebden Bridge. Credit: Rachel Brandwood, Facebook.
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Ten days later, it’s still a chaotic scene where I live. But these
kinds of disasters bring out the best in people, and the response from
kind-hearted strangers has been overwhelming. In just four days,
the local community raised £175,000 to help flood victims, people volunteered their time during the
Christmas
vacation to help in the clean-up operation, and residents have driven
up to the North from other parts of Britain to offer free machinery for
cleaning and dehumidifying, free carpet-fitting, and other essential
services to those hit the hardest.
Thousands of people have
donated money and materials,
shelter and food, and local supermarkets have sent out teams of
volunteers to help those in need, even giving away free cleaning
materials, brushes and buckets. People have donated new furniture,
charity music gigs have been arranged, a crowdfunding
page has been set up, and in addition to the support offered by churches in the area, the local
Muslim community, in particular, has shown incredible generosity.
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| The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association traveled to the North from London
to help. Credit: Sara Robinson/Hebden Bridge Town Hall, Facebook |
The
Islam Centre in nearby Halifax brought hot food to people in the Calder valley, while
Muslim
volunteers from charity groups The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association,
One Nation, and the Al-Mubarak Foundation visited the area.
They coordinated relief efforts with a local church, sent out
volunteers to help flood victims clean up their homes and businesses,
and have opened their doors to homeless families. The solidarity shown
by so many
Muslim and Sikh community groups is heartwarming and has made the
local tragedy much easier to deal with.
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| Sikh community groups also came to Hebden Bridge offering delicious
Indian food to those in need. The group has been catering for 400
people. Credit: Ravi Singh, Facebook |
Local resident Jenny Courtney Fidgeon, badly affected by the floods, left this heart-warming message on a local
Facebook page for victims:
“While walking through Hebden today for the first
time since boxing day when we lost our home, I realised something; life,
love and a restored faith in humanity has
come out of this disaster. I feel so proud of this community…people of
all faiths and walks of life have come together to help each other.
Community spirit still reigns.”
Perhaps the strangest sight we have seen in recent days are the big,
burly-looking bikers hanging out on street corners with their Harley
Davidsons. They look tough.
They look intimidating. But forget the ‘Hells’ part: these guys are angels, period.
Four different biker gangs have traveled to the flood-hit towns in
this valley to deter looters: because as much as these events show the
best of humanity, they inevitably highlight the worst, too. Victims who
have
emptied their destroyed homes and businesses
have been targeted by a small minority of callous thieves, who saw the
tragedy as an opportunity to take what they can from the mud-stained
streets as the floodwater receded.
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| Lloyd Spencer and Dave Cariss of Drifters MCC, West Yorkshire. Credit: Courtesy of Drifters MCC |
Bikers have done a great job of scaring away
would-be thieves
by patrolling the area throughout the night since Tuesday. The local
community and police have been welcoming to these unusual volunteers,
offering them food and hot drinks for their service. Hero biker Kath
Dearden sent this touching message of mutual appreciation to local
people on Facebook:
“Our team worked tirelessly in the rain all with smiles on their faces. I’m so proud of each and everyone of you guys n girls…thank
you yet again. We will still be patrolling New Years Eve and every day
until you don’t need us anymore. We feel like one big family. You are
all so kind leaving us food hot drinks. And thank you to the fantastic
family who brought us trays and trays of home made curry…total respect to all tonight…keep up the good work..xx”
Despite the
devastation,
the floods haven’t destroyed the true spirit of Christmas. The worst
flooding in decades may have ruined our holidays, but it’s also
restored our faith in humanity.
