Rugby Club Lacking Full Insurance Devastated by Storm Bert

Newport High School Old Boys RFC, a rugby club that struggled to secure sufficient insurance coverage following a 2020 flood, has experienced significant damage from Storm Bert. Eleri Jackson, 20, discovered the club’s premises submerged by water once more. “For it to be ruined again within four years, we’re absolutely gutted,” she stated. Eleri, a player for the club’s ladies’ team, indicated that the organization will need to depend on public generosity to address the damage, estimated to be worth thousands of pounds. “Seeing all the coaches and staff and players – the disappointment on their faces seeing this happening again is gutting. Fridges and electrics are ruined and all the furniture,” she commented. Within 24 hours, nearly £2,500 has been collected, an amount the club anticipates will contribute to the refurbishment of its facilities. Neil Short, chairman of the Division One East club, remarked: “We’ve got some building cover but after looking through the small print, we’re not covered for any of the damage on this one. “Maybe over the next few weeks we can think about doing some fundraisers but with Christmas coming up, people are not going to have a lot of money so I think we’re just going to have to suck it and see. It’s devastating.” Mr. Short noted that the club benefits from being volunteer-run and having several sponsors, but he expressed concern that the situation could become more challenging if severe weather events occur with increased frequency. “We have sponsors but before long this is not going to be viable. We’re not going to be able to continuously try to sustain situations like this,” he stated. Across Wales, numerous businesses have sustained considerable damage, among them David Kyle’s marketing business located in Nantgarw, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Upon reaching his office, he discovered that water levels had exceeded his ankles after the river Taff overflowed its banks on Sunday. However, the business owner, in conjunction with his building’s landlord, has opted against filing an insurance claim, citing concerns about a potential increase in premiums. “We are with flood risk specialists but it was hard enough trying to get insurance the last time around after Storm Dennis, so we’ve decided not to make a claim on this occasion. “We’ve taken up the carpets and all the damage to things like plug sockets will have to be repaired. This is like the third time in five or six years to have new carpets,” he explained. Mr. Kyle mentioned that several adjacent businesses have experienced even more substantial damage, including a family-owned flooring company nearby. “I went to see them and just saw their faces. The water level was even higher for them. It’s just awful,” he recounted. Louise Clark of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) stated: “The insurance industry can only do so much.” “We need the government to play its part and part of that is continued investment in new flood defences, but also maintaining those flood defences that we already have.” “The ABI did a study a couple of years ago which set out that for every £1 you invest in maintaining flood defences, you actually save £7 in new capital.” First Minister Eluned Morgan announced on Monday that the Welsh government had allocated millions of pounds following Storm Dennis to aid in protecting the populace. However, Morgan indicated that a time would arrive when it would become “difficult to protect every home and every business in Wales” because of climate change. She also acknowledged the necessity of learning from instances where flood prevention measures were insufficient. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.