ROTARIANS in Dorchester were given an insight into how the thousands of pounds raised by local communities in support of last winter’s storm victims were spent.

David Welch, from the Crewkerne Rotary Club in Somerset, spoke to members of the Dorchester club about his work as the organisation’s flood relief co-ordinator in recent months.

Members of the local community helped Rotary raise over £6,000 earlier in the year in support of victims of the flooding and violent winter storms that swept much of the country earlier in the year.

The money was added to a Rotary total of more than £100,000.

Mr Welch spoke largely about the work in the Somerset levels, one of the areas worst hit by the flooding.

He said some of the villages he went to, such as Moorland, were left devastated by the floods and were completely deserted when he visited them as residents had been forced to just abandon their homes.

Mr Welch said: “Not a house was occupied, the whole village was completely empty and the houses were wrecked inside and outside.”

He also spoke about the ‘absolutely outstanding’ work carried out by Rotarians at the warehouse where donated goods were delivered and across the flood hit areas.

Mr Welch also praised the local communities in Somerset for the way they responded in helping others.

He said: “The community spirit up there in helping victims was unbelievable.”

Mr Welch said that the Rotary’s work had including providing new bathrooms, kitchens, plumbing, electrics, garden services and conservatories as well as resilience packages to help protect homes from future flooding.

Another form of support was offering people hit by the floods and left in temporary accommodation holidays in Lyme Regis for a much needed break.

Mr Welch said that as the flooding faded into memory for some people, there were still many affected in the worst hit areas of the country and the Rotary was one of the few organisations continuing to work to support them.

He said: “There is help and enthusiasm which is dying fast and by January there will be one organisation helping up there, Rotary.

“We have made a pledge that we will be there till the end and afterwards and will be there next time it floods.”

After Mr Welch’s talk Peter Noble, from the Rotary Club of Dorchester, said: “I think Rotarians should be proud of what’s going on.”