Chesterfield flood appeal team issue update on fundraising efforts – with residents set to receive support by end of April

Chesterfield was hit by severe flooding in October last year - with residents and businesses across the town seeing their homes and premises damaged.

A fundraising appeal was launched in the aftermath of the floods. Lifehouse Church, located on Chatsworth Road, collaborated with Toby Perkins MP, local charities, agencies and businesses to help raise money for those impacted.

Councillor Paul Mann, who represents Hollingwood on Staveley Town Council, said he had been contacted by residents who saw their homes flooded - and called for an update on when they would receive support.

He said: “The public and everyone concerned needs an update on the situation, and we need to clarify what the criteria is. If you get two claims for the same property, one from the tenant and one from the landlord, both technically have legitimate claims.

“I would’ve thought the tenant would be most important - they’re the ones who have lost all of their belongings.

“The tenant can’t make any financial gain out of it. A landlord could receive support from the charity and then sell the property - tenants should be put first and landlords second, as they have received an income from those properties.”

The committee behind the fundraiser have issued an update on the work that has taken place since the flooding in Chesterfield.

A spokesperson for the committee said: “On October 20 2023, Chesterfield experienced a devastating flash flood that impacted hundreds of homes. Lifehouse Church was in the heart of the flood area and experienced first-hand the destruction of the waters, but focused its attention on giving help to others.

“With the help of other local people and charities, they were able to help clear homes and provide cleaning teams of volunteers. They set up a cleaning products appeal which collected thousands of much-needed items that were distributed to as many homes as possible.

“They provided meals in the early days after the flood to ease the pressure on households and created an online giving platform, so as to provide as many homes as possible with a ‘small one-off gift voucher’ to assist households with the rebuilding of their home.”

They added that organising support for hundreds of residents was an extensive process - with each member of the committee balancing this voluntary role with their own professional lives.

“The Chesterfield Flood Victims Appeal ‘GoFundMe’ was set up by Lifehouse Church and Toby Perkins MP, along with a few local business owners, raising approximately £110,000 through the giving of a very generous community.

“This team of individuals formed an oversight committee and are jointly responsible for the funds and their distribution. Applications for support through the fund closed on December 18, and then the committee considered late applications on a case by case basis until January 31.“As all of the committee members are working on this project alongside their own businesses or jobs, you can appreciate it takes a long time to establish and oversee such a huge process - collating hundreds of applications, messages and phone calls to ensure that all residents who contacted us were responded to and kept up to date as much as possible.”

The team behind the fundraiser confirmed that the application form was viewed 653 times, that 311 people started the application process, and that 150 forms were submitted as full responses - meaning they had completed their address and contact information and were not a test or “prank” response.

They added that over 85% of the people who fully completed the form have been deemed to be eligible for support, with some applications having been duplicated by couples or the same person submitting an update.

The spokesperson added that they are aiming to have distributed vouchers to every successful applicant by the end of next month.

They said: “Every eligible applicant has had regular contact with the volunteer team through messages or phone calls since December. The volunteer appeal team has strived to ensure that applicants are kept up-to-date and are receiving the most appropriate support from the fund in terms of which voucher type is most suitable for their needs.

“As you can appreciate, this has been a huge administrative burden that we have embraced and not ignored. We are currently working with over 20 local and large businesses to try to accommodate each applicants’ individual wishes for their vouchers or other support.“The committee is doing everything it can to ensure that the vouchers are purchased quickly and that all applicants receive their portion of the fund as soon as possible. However, it is essential that this is also done correctly and with due diligence to ensure we meet and stay within charity commission guidelines. The committee aims to distribute all funds and close the project by the end of April.”The spokesperson also addressed Coun Mann’s concerns, clarifying that tenants would not have their applications rejected based on whether their landlord had applied.

They said: “All applications have been treated separately and consistently. No tenant has been refused support in regards to whether their landlord may have applied.“The volunteer committee is in place to ensure a transparent and well-controlled process at each stage of the journey. Unfortunately, this comes with delays in itself, as we do our very best to ensure that all funds reach the intended recipients.

Some individuals have complex needs of their own or have been difficult to contact due to displacement issues, or damaged phones and computers being replaced.

“This has been a huge task that we are so pleased we are engaged with, as seeing the people of Chesterfield receive a small gift of hope and care is our main goal.

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“The efforts that have taken place by so many people from our community may not be life-changing but will present every household and beyond with the underlying message ‘that people really do care.’”