rory casts his vote for council’s flood response award nomination

Rory has given his support to Allerdale Borough Council’s national award nomination for its emergency response to the floods in Allerdale last November.

Rory has joined hundreds of others in voting for the Council’s entry in the finals, competing against teams from Birmingham, Plymouth and Oldham for the coveted title of “Team of the Year” in the Local Government Association’s Council Worker of the Year Awards.

Mr Stewart, who helped raise funds for the Penrith Lions’ efforts to aid families affected by the recent floods and is shown here presenting a cheque for £600 to President Ian Edgar, said that it was extremely important to show support for the work of the emergency response team, and encouraged Cumbrians to vote. He commented: “At a time when recent tragic events in the county have highlighted the crucial role of our emergency services we must remember how incredibly valuable they are to our communities in times of crisis. We would be lost without their dedication and bravery, and I applaud their professionalism and compassion.”

In the immediate response to the floods, Allerdale Borough Council set up an emergency helpline and contact centre staffed by 20 people; some of whom carried our 26-hour shifts. Council staff operated reception centres at Cockermouth and Workington, re-homed those affected by flooding and worked around the clock to help prevent the spread of disease. The distribution of 8,000 sandbags in increasingly worsening conditions was arranged, and once the floodwaters had subsided cleaning staff worked throughout the night at short notice to ensure streets were cleaned of mud, silt and debris by daylight.

Duncan Fairbairn, Cumbria County and Allerdale Borough Councillor, said: “We’re delighted that our award-nominated staff have been given this official endorsement by Rory Stewart for their dedication to serving the people of Allerdale. Not many people realise that Rory’s constituency includes the Warnell ward and the greater part of Wigton ward of Allerdale, and his support is gratefully received.”

People can show their support for the Allerdale Borough Council’s response to the emergency flooding by voting via the website: www.localgovernmentchannel.com/awards or by texting “LGATV 2 Allerdale” to 80039.