Festive flood relief mission

FLOODS devastated Cumbrian towns and villages

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GENEROUS Oldham firms are giving the gift of goodwill by hosting a Christmas Day spectacular for families left devastated by the Cumbrian floods.

Local business have rallied together to bring a touch of festive cheer to families who lost their homes when Storm Desmond wreaked havoc across the region earlier this month. Up to 31 residents will be collected by Swans Coaches and brought to Saddleworth’s White Hart Hotel for drinks and nibbles.

They will then enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch courtesy of the George Tavern in Oldham with Paul Lowcock, from Uppermill, providing the turkey, Jack’s Smokehouse in Yorkshire Street rustling up vegetables and local breweries laying on drinks.

Families will stay overnight at the White Hart and enjoy breakfast on Boxing Day before heading back home.

Organiser Neil Greenwood, the White Hart DJ, said: “It all started when I put a post on Facebook offering to host Christmas Day dinner for four people at my house in Bottom Sholver. The George Tavern messaged me saying they could accommodate 30 people if I wanted to invite more.

“As it was a long way to come just for Christmas Day lunch, I got in touch with Charles Brierley at the White Hart asking if he could put them up. Charles said as the hotel was closed on the evening of Christmas Day the rooms would be empty, and it just snowballed from there.”

Neil normally spends Christmas morning helping out at a homeless shelter but after seeing the flooding left by the storms, changed his plans. The market town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, which lies on the banks of the River Eden, was left devastated by the storm and many homes and businesses destroyed.

Neil has also organised a present appeal and is urging Oldham residents to donate a gift to ensure every person in Appleby who lost their home gets something to open on Christmas Day.

All presents should be wrapped and labelled with the age and gender of the child or adult it is for.

There is also a fundraising page at www.gofundme.com/cumbriachristmas for any donations to help buy gifts. Neil said: “On Boxing Day, we would like to fill the coach taking our guests back home with presents for everyone else.

“If people can drop a Christmas present off at either The George Tavern, George Street, Oldham, The White Hart in Lydgate or Dinnerstone in Uppermill, we’ll make sure they are delivered.”