A CHARITY helpline is on standby to provide practical and emotional support to flood victims who may be at risk again this Christmas.

A year on from the devastation that rocked communities across the north of England in December 2015, the National Flood Forum is urging residents to make use of their support and expertise.

Hundreds of homes in Radcliffe were left under water last Boxing Day and families are still recovering from the trauma.

Colette Jones, chairman of the Radcliffe Flood Action Group, said: “Christmas is now a time of dread. From children having nightmares to the sad loss of a resident who couldn’t cope with the stress of it all and sadly passed away.

“The emotional toll and repeating fear that it could all happen again has left us feeling helpless, stressed, bewildered, angry and extremely frightened.

“Our sense of security is now so shattered we have been left feeling vulnerable and uncertain about what the future may hold.

“How can you make your home flood resilient when the surveyor tells you it will cost more than £35,000 to fully protect your home yet the grant is only £5000?

“How can you plan for the future when you know your home, that you have worked and paid for all of your working life, may never sell leaving you trapped and frustrated because you cannot ever move?”

In the eye of the 2015 winter storms, calls to the National Flood Forum’s helpline more than doubled compared to the previous year, with most calls coming from people concerned about insurance difficulties.

The charity also offers face-to-face support once the emergency services have left and for the many months afterwards.

Paul Cobbing, from the National Flood Forum, said: “The impact of flooding is often reported in terms of financial cost - how much the insurance industry has paid out, loss to business and the local economy, the bill for repairing infrastructure.

“But what about the human cost and impact on people?

“Recovering from a flood turns people’s lives upside down. Everything that was once normal is changed.

“That’s why we exist as a charity – to offer our support and expertise with everything from insurance battles, to managing the painstaking rebuild of a home and, very commonly, the emotional burn out and stresses that people face.

“Flood recovery is all-consuming and as we approach another winter we know that the sound of rain can send people into a panic that they may have to face it all over again.”

The National Flood Forum helpline is open during office hours, Monday to Friday and can be contacted on 01299 403055 or email info@floodforum.org.uk

To support the charity’s work with flooded people and communities across England and Wales, text RAIN07 to 70070 to make a donation.