A YOUTH club in a village in one local authority in Gwent is bringing the community together after it was devastated by flooding.
Crosskeys Youth Club in Caerphilly county, has been described as a “safe haven” for many young people was destroyed in the flooding caused by Storm Bert in November, and further worsened by Storm Darragh earlier this month.
The club itself sits in the grounds next door to Crosskeys rugby club, which was also impacted by the severe weather.
More than five feet of water, sludge, dirt and debris found its way into the building during the storms, and has, according to local volunteer Gem Walker, “absolutely devastated everything in its path”.
The entire club has been absolutely devastated by the flooding (Image: CCBC) The impact of this has been really felt by the community, with damage done to the toys for babies and children, gaming items, computers, sports equipment, pool tables and much more.
Ms Walker has been spurred on to help the club get back on its feet, and has created a GoFundMe page for the community to donate to help the club repair the damage, as the toys and equipment are not covered with the same insurance as the building because they were bought by funding throughout the years, and may now be “really difficult” to replace.
The floods have destroyed equipment that will be very difficult to replace (Image: CCBC) According to Ms Walker, this isn’t the first time the British weather has damaged the club, with Storm Dennis back in 2020 causing a significant amount, however she noted that it was “nowhere near as much damage as this time”.
She explained: “The youth club and young parents project has only just recently managed to get over the affects from Storm Dennis four years ago, so now to be hit like this by Storm Bert is utterly devastating.
“While as a community we won’t be able to replace the personal artwork and scrapbooks, for example, we can at least help the club by raising some money to help them replace some of the items they’ve lost that were bought with funding.”
The fundraiser has a target of £1000 with £430 raised to date. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.
It is hoped that flood defences plans will be put in place to avoid this happening again (Image: CCBC)
Youth Work Manager for Central Youth Work Cluster for Caerphilly, Pam Harvey was keen to stress the importance of having the club reopen as soon as possible as it acts as the base for the central cluster team of the Youth Work Service.
She explained: “Having the team back in the base as soon as possible is going to be key, and getting the service reinstated is important.
“We are waiting for updates from surveyors, but we hope to have a positive outcome soon, which will include flood defence plans for the area.”
She was also keen to heap praise on the community who have stepped in to help, adding: “I would like to thank everyone who has worked quickly in difficult conditions, and also to the local partnerships who have supported us, offering temporary spaces and raising funds.
“The local community spirit has really shone through.”