February ‘fill dike’ has certainly lived up to its ancient name
this year! My son has sent these photos from the Thames Valley, where he lives (fortunately up a hill!)This aside, the County Council, in common with local authorities from other more or less unaffected areas, has been able to offer help to other counties; water rescue teams and firemen from Suffolk have been sent to assist with emergency conditions in the Thames Valley and also on the Somerset levels. I am assured that this didn’t compromise safety here in Suffolk.
In difficult times it is good to show mutual support. This applies at the community as well as the
official level. According to Sue Herne, the Emergency Planning
Office at Mid Suffolk and Babergh District Councils, recent ‘extreme weather
events’, including the St Jude’s Storm and the coastal surge in December, have
led to an exponential rise in interest from parishes looking to develop their own Community Emergency Plan. The process is generally led by the Parish
Council.
In my areas, Monks Eleigh and Cockfield already have fully
developed Plans in place, and a number of others are working on them. Not all villages have signed up however. Watching the work in progress from a distance
I have been struck by how, in addition to being a good thing in itself, the creation of a Plan brings a community
together. People with all sorts of
skills, whether they are professionals such as nurses, or are just good tea
makers who can offer ‘psychological first aid’, can volunteer to get involved
and get to know one another better in the process.
If you want to know more about developing a Community
Emergency Plan, Sue Herne (01449 724851)
will be pleased to hear from you. More
details are also available on the county wide website: www.getpreparednow.co.uk.
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