Tenbury Wells Businesses Commend Community Support in Flood Recovery Efforts

Following the widespread flooding caused by Storm Bert a week prior, businesses in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, have expressed gratitude for their community’s assistance in their recovery and reopening endeavors. The town experienced extensive flooding, resulting in submerged streets, road closures, and significant damage to numerous shops and businesses. Despite the challenges, many residents conveyed optimism for the future during a visit by BBC News to assess the recovery progress. Gary Thompson, who owns Mr Thom’s sweet shop, remarked, “We all think about each other all the time so let’s just try get back on our feet.” Last weekend’s flooding left Halo Hair Studio inundated with mud, with staff admitting they “did not know where to start” with the necessary repairs. Subsequently, the team dedicated 14-hour shifts, day and night, to restore the premises, which is now operating at half capacity. Victoria Hoskins, representing the salon, commented that the floods arrived “at a worse time,” coinciding with the business’s peak season leading up to Christmas. “We’re all just a bit heartbroken, you don’t know what to think,” she stated. Nevertheless, she also noted it was “lovely to see the community coming together,” emphasizing that local businesses were “really appreciating” any patronage from customers. The town centre became submerged after the adjacent Kyre Brook overflowed its banks, leading to a wall collapse and water rushing through the streets. Richard Sharman successfully reopened his florist, Garlands Flowers, on Thursday, having completed sufficient repairs to the damage inflicted by the floods. He reported the loss of two-thirds of his inventory and expressed initial uncertainty regarding his ability to reopen. “We worked hard, so for two days and nights you’re scrubbing and cleaning, dumping the rubbish and breakages,” he recounted. Mr. Sharman maintains a positive outlook, affirming his commitment to his motto: “working hard, put a smile on your face and hope people will come in.” Mr. Thompson described managing the aftermath of the floods as “really, really challenging” and voiced his hope for the availability of grants to aid businesses. He further noted that since the flooding, individuals have been assisting one another in repairing shops and clearing debris to facilitate the resumption of trade. He also conveyed his sincere appreciation for customers patronizing small businesses such as his, even for a “small purchase.” Mr. Thompson appealed, “Some of the shops won’t be open yet and we’d be so grateful if you could just wait a few days for them to get back on their feet.” He continued, “When you do see that they are open, if you could just pop in and show some support because they are going to be so grateful.” For further updates, follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.