Buildbase rallies building community to help Somerset residents fight floods

Builders merchant Buildbase is working with its network of suppliers and customers to donate urgent flood relief to Somerset residents.

Transported by freight company TXX, around 1,000 environmentally friendly sandbags travelled from Jutexpo’s warehouse near Ipswich to Buildbase in Yeovil, where they are being filled with sand and made available to homes in the surrounding areas.

The builders merchant is also working with suppliers to donate protective clothing such as chest waders, 200 high visibility waterproof jackets and 10,000 nitrile gloves as well as provisions such as wheelbarrows and cleaning materials to help local volunteers.

Buildbase branches in Gloucester, Cheltenham. Radstock. Yeovil and Malmesbury are all taking part in the initiative and local residents will be able to collect sandbags and supplies from those locations while stock is available.

Kyle Chesterman, branch manager at Buildbase in Yeovil said: “A number of villages in the area have been stranded, people need to get out and the area can only be accessed by foot. This is a massive undertaking and the whole community has come together to help each other out in what is an incredibly distressing situation.

“As a local business you are involved in the local community at many levels and you can’t just watch from the sidelines when it’s in jeopardy. We are doing everything we can, supporting the currently stretched local authorities. By working with our network of suppliers and customers were in a good position to provide vital materials to help stop the damage spreading even further.”

Buildbase was alerted to the plight by its customer, Brington Engineering, who is helping with the relief effort. Ann Cooper, operations director said: “We are based in Somerset and can see that our communities are suffering big time. Volunteers are attempting to stop the further spreading of the floods by shoring up banks and growing sand bag defences. The community in Somerset is pulling together to help those that have been effected by the terrible flooding on all levels.”