Money is still flooding into the fund that was set up to help the many people who had to leave their homes when the floods invaded them on Boxing Day – and the flow of money is increasing thanks to the lodges of local Freemasons.
The latest large sums have come from a concert held at Radcliffe Civic Hall on 5th March which raised £1,200 and was matched with a generous personal and anonymous donation of the same amount; and a £5,000 donation has also been received from the Freemasons from the Bury District which includes Radcliffe.  The total collected has now passed £15,000.
In the immediate aftermath of the Boxing Day floods, a great many people were on the streets providing support, and community ties have been formed and strengthened as a consequence.  The Lions and Rotary Club set up a shop on the Radcliffe shopping precinct to be able to give away cleaning equipment, and they also handed out food, clothing and even kitchen white goods.  Now that the immediate aftermath has finished, the challenge is to provide some form of financial support to those in need.
Representatives of the Lions, the Freemasons, and the Churches in Radcliffe, are working in partnership with the local authority to distribute the money that has been collected to assist those who need it most.  One of the leaders of Radcliffe and Whitefield Lions, Bryan Holland, has been involved since the floods took place.  He said, “We have been overwhelmed by the good nature and generosity of the people and businesses of Radcliffe and the surrounding areas who have given their time and talents to be able to help those who are in need.  The amount of money collected is still increasing but we now need to start handing out the money that has been donated.”
St Mary’s Church and Close Park was at the heart of the floods.  Two of those representatives (left to right in the photo) Steve Clark and Bryan Holland met up with Steve Holland, the District Charity Steward from Bury District Freemasons to see how the local community had worked together to make Close Park an area for families to enjoy once more.  Steve Holland took the opportunity to make the Freemason’s donation to the Flood Relief fund.
It will take much more time for the buildings in the park and the church itself to be brought back into use, and in addition, many families are still trying to make their own homes habitable.  People who have been affected can pick up application forms to access the Flood Relief Fund from libraries and other Bury MBC help desks, or by emailing radcliffefloodrelief@gmail.com.  In addition, people can make a donation by sending a cheque to Radcliffe United Reformed Church, Blackburn St, Radcliffe, M26 3WQ and made payable to Radcliffe and Whitefield Lions Flood Relief Fund.