Flood relief update

As the flooding continues so does the unceasing work from St John Ambulance volunteers. Crews have been ready from Friday as far afield as Cornwall and Cumbria, prepared to support the public in their time of need. Here's an overview of the huge amount of work our volunteers have been doing across the counties hit by heavy floodwaters.

Oxfordshire

Volunteers are supporting South Central Ambulance Service with their emergency response. Since Friday they have provided six emergency ambulances and crews have been assisting with hospital transfers, evacuations and emergency calls.

Full details of Oxfordshire's support.

Hereford and Worcester

The West Midlands Ambulance Trust declared a major incident early in the unfolding disaster and sought immediate help from local St John Ambulance volunteers. Crews were mobilised from towns across the county and the 4x4 ambulances where used to get through the floods.

Full details of Hereford and Worcester's support

Shropshire

Six emergency vehicles were deployed over the weekend and members assisted with the evacuation of residents and nursing homes threatened by the rising flood waters of the River Severn.

Full details of Shropshire's support

Bedfordshire

A crew was put on standby on Friday to help with flooding of Newport Pagnell.

On Monday the crew were alerted at 5.30am and sent to a rest centre in Turvey which was set up by the local authority where they worked alongside the British Red Cross. Thankfully no one was evacuated there and at 4.15pm on Monday the volunteers were able to rest.

Bedfordshire volunteers remain on standby for assistance to the whole country.

Warwickshire

Forty-two volunteers and staff were in action during the weekend with another 16 on standby to support the local ambulance trust and to set up and staff rest centres. Ambulances and 4x4 vehicles have been provided and a total of 398 volunteer hours completed. With the rain expected to return, crew and vehicles are on standby if needed.  St John Ambulance Cadets – young people aged 10 to 18 - also got involved by providing refreshments.

Wiltshire

St John Ambulance's own garage in Swindon was made inaccessible due to the flooding. Two 4x4 ambulances, three road ambulance and 28 volunteers were mobilised to aid the local Swindon community.

Full details of support in Wiltshire

Berkshire

Volunteers in Berkshire have been supporting the South Central Ambulance Service over the weekend and as there has been a warning for flooding in Reading, have been asked to continue to do so for the remainder of this week. St John Ambulance is supplying them with vehicles and crew members.

Staffordshire

Volunteers were called to help the local community following a request from Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Two emergency ambulances were provided throughout the weekend, responding to emergency calls and undertaking patient transfers. This allowed the statutory ambulance service to assist its colleagues in flood hit areas across the West Midlands region.

Maureen Upton, Commander of St John Ambulance Staffordshire, said: ‘Our volunteers put in many hours of training to enable them to fulfil this role; it is gratifying that our members are willing to give up their free time to help their local communities in times of need.’

Members will continue to be deployed throughout the week.

Gloucestershire

Volunteers were on standby from Friday lunchtime, when a severe weather warning caused all first aid courses to be abandoned.

By early evening a major incident was declared and 4x4 and road ambulances worked throughout the night to support the local ambulance service.

Full details of support in Gloucestershire.

Northamptonshire

Eleven volunteers from Northamptonshire are giving up their time to help flood victims in Oxford. Over three days, the men and women from Kinsthorpe, Earls Barton, Brackley and Towcester divisions are looking after people forced to leave their homes as a result of the flooding. The members are based in the Kassam Stadium and are helping to ensure victims are in good health and provide them with care where necessary.