Volunteers flood help

Volunteers from St John Ambulance Hampshire have answered a call to help run a flood relief centre at Oxford.

Hampshire volunteers off to Oxford

The call came at 5pm Wednesday 25 July 2007 and by 9pm all the places were filled.

At 7.30am Thursday 26 July 2007 a St John Ambulance minibus took nine volunteers up to Oxford where they have been on duty from 9am-5pm.

The Hampshire volunteers came from across the county –Thursday saw three from Havant, one from Basingstoke, one from Alton, one from Totton and three from the Social Care team head up the A34 to the Oxford Kassam Stadium to assist with the evacuation/rest centre.

Robert Lankford, Emergency Planning Officer for St John Ambulance Hampshire, said:  ‘I spoke to the organiser in Oxford who said their volunteers were tired and needed to sort out their own wet homes or just get back to work.

‘He asked if we would be able to help out and within three and a half hours every vacancy had been filled. It’s marvellous how everyone has pulled together to help in such terrible circumstances.’

On Friday 27 July 2007 the minibus left Basingstoke at 7.30am again for another eight-hour shift. A further nine Hampshire volunteers were on board: five members from the Social Care team, three from Andover and one from Totton .

For more information please contact Siobhan Hand, County PRO, on 01962 777753.