Februaury/March 2014
Well what a month this turned out to be…!!!
It was evident all winter that this was going to be an exceptionally wet start to the year, particularly in the South West of the UK, most notably in the area known as the Somerset levels. Every day saw new horror stories on the tv and in newspapers, large areas of water was laying over farmland and was encroaching into peoples homes. The situation was becoming worse by the day, there seemed to be nothing but useless rhetoric coming from the Environment agency and government. By Early February the situation had become so bad and so heart wrenching, seeing fellow farmers and their stock suffer in such appalling conditions.
With no prospect of help from outside the industry, particularly from the authorities, we took it upon our selves to initiate and spearhead a sustained and effective program of aid. Within days we had generous offers of help from local farmers and hauliers, all giving their time and produce completely free of charge. in order that we could alleviate the suffering and provide a vital lifeline to the farmers and their livestock in Somerset. From the platform of our Facebook page we have managed to send 30 articulated lorry loads of feed and bedding to some of the worst hit farmers in the area.
The produce sent ranged from Sugar Beet for feed to Wheat Straw for bedding. We even had a dozen pairs of chest high waders donated, which we sent down in one of the lorry cabs.
For every load we sent, we researched the recipients need, evaluated the likely benefits and finally organised the haulage. This way we ensured that there was a genuine need and that our help was both timely and effectively executed. The estimated total value of the campaign of aid has been a staggering £33,000 and the participating trucks have travelled in excess of 12,000 miles.
We have made many good friends in Somerset during this campaign of help. There are some wonderful people in this most beautiful of counties. This country and it’s leaders must never again leave its residents so desperately in need of help. It is a disgrace that this should ever happen in a country like the United Kingdom. Without the people and businesses of Fenland who have helped us in our campaign the suffering and hardship on farms on the Somerset levels would have been far greater. I therefore extend on their behalf my sincere thanks to Everyone listed below.
