Congregations from Cockermouth and Workington United Reformed churches (URC) are putting other priorities to one side and playing an active part in the relief work following the floods across West Cumbria.  

The Reverend Alistair Smeaton, URC minister in Workington & Cockermouth and team leader for clergy response in the west of the county, has been managing church support at the reception centres in Workington, Cockermouth and Keswick. Teams of volunteers coordinated by Churches Together were busy over the weekend; sorting clothes, registering arrivals, helping serve meals and running a refreshment drop-in at Christ Church, the local Anglican church, which has, at the request of the police, been operating 24 hours a day to serve the needs of all the people working in the town centre.  Two churches in Keswick have started a drop-in facility at St Herbert’s Hall.

Cockermouth URC is on Main Street (widely featured in all the TV news reports) and is under water but, as no one is yet able to walk along Main Street, the amount of damage is not known.  Yesterday (Sunday) Alistair Smeaton led an emotional church service in the reception centre attended by volunteers and evacuees of all beliefs and denominations. 

Alistair says, “We may get access to homes, businesses and the church today and returning to flooded properties will be a traumatic experience for many.  The emergency plan is moving into a welfare and recovery phase and help is needed - although it is not yet completely clear what will be required and when. Financial donations are being collected and channeled through the Cumbria Community foundation. (http://www.cumbriafoundation.org/) As for practical help - the sheer scale of the task is overwhelming; many people will want to work on their own or with friends and relatives in their own businesses and homes; but many others will need and want someone along side them. We hope to help with this and are collating a list of volunteers for such work.”

Keswick, Cumbria, 19 Nov 2009 'DSCF0003' by Matt_J_O http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_j_o/4117686890/, Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en	Skelwith Bridge, near Ambleside, Cumbria, 19 Nov 2009 'Skelwith Bridge' by Rambling0n http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramblingon/4117177865/, Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en	Rydal, near Ambleside, Cumbria, 19 Nov 2009 'Rydal' by Rambling0n http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramblingon/4117188689/, Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en