A FLOOD fund has been launched by Co-operative stores throughout Worcestershire to help its members who have been affected by the burst river Severn.

The Member’s Flood Fund was launched last weekend with a £10,000 donation from the Midcounties Co-operative Society and customer donations have been rolling in at stores in the county, with fundraising set to continue until the end of February, or for as long as the adverse weather conditions continue.

Members whose homes have been damaged by the floods can apply for a £100 grant from the fund to help cover out of pocket expenses.

Maxine Sharman, head of community engagement at the society, said: “The devastating storms sweeping across the country have damaged the homes of thousands of people, including those of our members in Worcestershire. It’s often the unexpected expenses such as excess payments on insurance claims that can leave people out of pocket, and we have launched this fund to support our members that have been caught up in the floods.

“We ran a similar initiative in 2007 to help members who were affected by the Southern Floods, and again we’ve already been overwhelmed by the support that our customers, colleagues and members have given to help those affected. Our core values revolve around supporting our members and this is just a small way that we can help to make a difference.”

The fundraising initiative is part of the society's social responsibility commitment to support the communities in which it trades, and sees members, colleagues and customers working together to support fellow members in need.

People can apply for the society's grant by downloading an application form from midcounties.coop.