Floods

The flood waters have receded, the media circus has left town, sacrificial victims have been hung out for public scrutiny and it's as if the great flood of Christmas 2016 never happened.

Except of course, it did and all those people and businesses affected by it are still living with the consequences.

The images of broken bridges, demolished pubs, homes full of filthy water and community centres turned into refugee camps were powerful and moving, the headlines and news reports shocked us all, but what now?  It's all been forgotten so quickly.

For so many people the impact of the flood will last months and some may never recover. 

Thankfully the death toll was mercifully small, but the final reckoning has yet to  be done and without our support may small businesses may not survive.  How can they finance the coming months with no income?

To some extent - greater or lesser, insurance claims will cover the immediate aftermath - damage to buildings and destruction of stock, can all be recompensed and, in the long run, replaced.

But what about the interim and what about all the businesses not directly affected by the rising water.

One of our stockists told me that the Environment Agency had advised people not to visit their entire AREA, when in fact their town was both accessible and dry.  Consequently they had the lowest trading figures in 22 years and that was in  December!! 

So many rely on a good December to take them through the quiet months of January and February, but if December was a write off, then can they hang on until the roads are passable, the bridges repaired, the hotels opened and the Spring weather for customers to return.

You know that we are committed to supporting independent businesses and only supply selected retailers for our range.

But this is a plea for you to support ALL the businesses in all the areas affected by the floods.

Pop into the local for a drink, visit the cinema, have a weekend away at a B&B, shop locally - do your bit to make sure that these communities will still be operating viable businesses this year.  The dry ones are almost as hard hit as the inundated ones and they have no claim on their insurance, just because we have all stayed away.

 © Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2016