Garstang's flood hit sports clubs voice their gratitude as Co-op donates cash

Record rainfall during Storm Ciara caused the Garstang Sports and Social Club site, which is next to the River Wyre, to ​flood for the third time in seven years.

Flood gates on the river failed to operate, and the Environment Agency later said a he hydraulic cylinder on the East gate at Garstang Flood Basin was in need of repair and could not be safely raised and held in position.

The rugby club ground flooded first, followed by the cricket and football pitches and then the Riverside clubhouse.

Desperate club members, who were left with an estimated £2,500 clean up bill, applied for funding from the Co-op’s community fund to help repair the damage.

On Thursday the Co-op’s community fund donated £1,000 to Garstang Cricket Club, Garstang FC and Garstang RUFC, and a cheque was handed over at the Catterall Co-op store to Andy Walling, from the cricket club.

The delighted rugby club also received a further £500 from Lancashire Rugby to make up for their lost revenue.

In a statement on Twitter the club said: “Despite what is going on in the world we’re humbled by the community support for our club following the flooding in February.”

Cricket Club chairman Mike Walling said: “At the cricket club, the main damage was to the square from the silt left behind, which ruined the soil on the practice facilities.

“Thankfully in the pavilion, we managed to lift a lot of chairs, tables and thing like fridges and ovens above the water level, but the water damaged carpets and skirting boards.

“The rugby club suffered minimal damage but there was some damage to Garstang FC’s changing rooms.

“The water came in quite quickly, a combination of heavy rain coming down from the hills and the tide coming up from Fleetwood. It took four to six hours to drain away.

“The money will help to cover some of damage left behind.”