Local housebuilder supports Sawtry flood relief programme
19 Feb 2021

Community-spirited volunteers in Sawtry have replenished an emergency supply of sandbags to protect homes against future flooding with the help of a local housebuilder. Bovis Homes, which is building at its Judith Gardens development off Gidding Road, donated over a tonne of sand in response to an appeal from Sawtry Man Cave, a group set up to enable residents to interact, share practical skills and repair items belonging to villagers. The group, which is part of CARESCO, a charitable organisation which provides a range of services and activities within the local community, approached several companies seeking support for its flood relief programme at the end of January, when flood alert levels in the village were raised to high. Within days of the appeal, volunteers from the group were packing up the sand donated by the housebuilder, which is part of the Vistry Group, to create more than 50 sandbags for use in future flood events. Peter Holland, from Sawtry Man Cave said: “As the village suffers from poor drainage systems and a lack of maintenance, lots of people’s homes are at a high risk of flooding. We desperately needed support from local companies to help us prepare for future emergencies. “Bovis Homes responded overwhelmingly quickly to our request. They were immediately solution-driven and sorted out the logistics so that, by the next working day, me and another volunteer could get straight into action filling up the sandbags. “Their kind donation means that we have over 50 emergency sandbags available in the event of a future flood. There’s now more peace of mind and security for everyone living in the village - we’ve already given away three sandbags to an elderly lady who was feeling anxious.” Hannah Dorner, sales manager for Judith Gardens, said: “As soon as we received the request, we knew we had to show our support and stand in solidarity with the organisation’s charitable work. “Our donation means that local residents will have plenty of sandbags at their disposal, enabling them to be better prepared for any future flood emergencies.” In the event of future flooding, Sawtry residents can collect the emergency sandbags from The CARESCO Centre, Green End Road. For more information on the support offered by Sawtry Man Cave, visit its Facebook group page at facebook.com/sawtrymancave. Bovis Homes is currently building a mix of two to five-bedroom properties at Judith Gardens. For more information about the new houses, visit bovishomes.co.uk.

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