Would you be ready to keep an eye on your neighbours when there’s a flood or other disaster?
In Ambleside they’re looking for volunteers who are prepared to watch out for others in their street or neighbourhood.
The Ambleside Community Emergency Planning and Response Group is building a list of names and phone numbers who can be contacted when something serious happens locally. The aim is for volunteers to cascade information…by phoning the next person on the list … and by stepping outside their own front doors to see where help might be needed.
The group is run by volunteers with help from the Environment Agency…and they hope they’ll never be needed.
“But we know that flooding is likely to be more than a once every hundred years occurrence now,” says co-ordinator Andy Caple. “We also want people to be on standby for other situations..adverse weather, power outages.
“The people on our list need to look out for just their immediate neighbours, and to ring others on the list. The more volunteers we have, the smaller the area that each will need to cover.”
Andy makes it clear that no one is being asked to take on the roles which will be undertaken by the emergency services and by the mountain rescue teams. “It’s more about passing on information, perhaps alerting older people and others in their street.”
Anyone who can help or wants more information should call Andy on 07747 024691 / andy.caple@gmail.com
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