A plea has been made to the Taunton community to help the town’s rugby club after it was hit by the floods which has wreaked havoc across Somerset this week.
Storm Chandra brought heavy rain, with high areas receiving around 60-80mm, leading to serious disruption and difficult travelling conditions across Somerset. A major incident was declared by Somerset Council.
One of the many victims of the downpour was Taunton Rugby Club, based at Summerfield Stadium, in Bathpool. The club said several areas of the clubhouse are ‘unusable’ and the club is facing a loss of more than £10,000 in income, alongside ‘urgent’ repair costs.
A Justgiving page has been launched, and the club is asking the community to rally around its rugby club. So far, more than £2,400 has been raised.
Om the Justgiving page, club president Neil Symons said the club will have to pay around £10k to replace damaged carpets, replace damaged stock, repaint and redecorate as well as paying for equipment hire.
To support the club, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/taunton-rugby-club-flood-appeal
In a post on social media, the club said: “For 150 years, Taunton Rugby Club has been a home for players, families, volunteers and supporters across our community.
“Severe flooding caused by local rivers bursting their banks caused significant damage to parts of our clubhouse. Several key areas are currently unusable, leaving us operating with reduced facilities and facing over £10,000 in lost income, alongside urgent repair costs.
“We’ve never asked for help like this before — not even during Covid — but this has hit us at the busiest time of the year, and we can’t recover from it alone.
“If you’re able to help, please consider donating or sharing our JustGiving page. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a genuine difference.
“Please help us protect a club that means so much to so many
“Thank you for your support — it truly means everything.”
A major incident was declared in Somerset on Tuesday (January 27) because of the flooding with Somerset Council saying the flood risk remains after the Met Office issued another rain warning for Thursday (January 29) afternoon/evening.
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