Clergy and parishioners in churches across Worcestershire are being encouraged to show they care for their neighbours by choosing to go and spend their money in areas that were worst-hit by the flooding in the summer. The Diocese of Worcester is launching a campaign to persuade people to go for a meal or visit the high street shops in places such as Upton, Droitwich, Tewkesbury, Evesham or Tenbury Wells as a way to help the businesses there recover a little more quickly.

The Revd Canon Ken Boyce, Area Dean of Worcester East and Rector of the church of St. Martin with St. Peter in Worcester explains: “It will take some time to forget those images of South Worcestershire under water this summer, and we know the tremendous cost to homes and livelihoods.  Nature is remarkable; you can travel around and hardly notice where the water had been but homes, farms, and businesses will take far longer to recover.

“However, there is something we can all do to help. Next time you’re thinking about going for a pub lunch or dinner at a restaurant, or are just meeting friends for drinks, why not venture further afield and visit one of the establishments affected by the flooding? You might enjoy the outing and discover somewhere new, and it would definitely help that business to get back on their feet.”

As part of the campaign, people are also being encouraged to buy local produce whenever possible, supporting local farmers who are currently having such a tough time following the effects of the climate as well as the threat of Foot and Mouth and Bluetongue.

Worcestershire farmers have also received grants from the ARC Addington fund, which has paid out to a number of farmers/growers who have incurred direct extra costs due to the July flooding.  These grants have varied from helping towards the cost of buying concentrates to feed cattle, whilst their normal grazing area was flooded, to helping to replenish winter fodder that has had to be used to feed livestock during the flooding aftermath.  Some help has also been given to market gardeners that have had a total washout of their crops.  There is a maximum of £1000 per award and the application is subject a basic form of means testing. 

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The Diocese of Worcester is one of 44 dioceses in the Church of England. It covers an area of 671 square miles and includes parishes in the County of Worcestershire, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, and a few parishes in northern Gloucestershire, south east Wolverhampton and Sandwell.