Prince Charles donates £50,000 to support flooded Somerset residents
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Your support makes all the difference.The Prince of Wales offered his support to flood-hit residents on the Somerset Levels by pledging a £50,000 donation today.
The Duke of Westminster will match the funding with an additional £50,000 - taking the total donation to £100,000.
The Prince met local residents, farmers and emergency services personnel who have been affected by the flooding.
Charles, patron of the Prince's Countryside Fund, which will provide the donation, braved heavy rain and winds in the area to attend a reception in Stoke St Gregory.
Dozens of schoolchildren, residents and campaigners greeted him as he arrived at the Williams Hall in the small Somerset village, near Taunton.
The Prince's Countryside Fund has allocated £25,000 of the emergency funding to the Farming Help Partnership, made up of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, Farm Community Network and the Addington Fund.
A further £25,000 has been given to the Somerset Community Foundation.
Speaking following the announcement, Victoria Elms of the Prince's Countryside Fund said: "Rural communities in the South West are facing a second consecutive year of flooding.
"The Prince's Countryside Fund exists to support the people who live and work in the countryside and we hope this financial aid will go some way to supporting the farmers, businesses and families who are facing severe hardships as a result of the flooding.
"Rural businesses are key to thriving communities and we want to help get hard-hit villages back on their feet and open for business."
Communities from local areas including Muchelney, Thorney and other isolated hamlets have been cut off by the waters, with major roads closed.
The Somerset Levels suffered "once in 100 years" flooding in 2012, with conditions returning to the area in recent weeks.
More than 128,000 acres are flooded, around 40 homes are under water and approximately 200 houses are cut off. In total, around 350 people are affected.
The Prince's Countryside Fund, founded by Charles, has supported Britain's hard-pressed rural areas since being set up by Business in the Community in July 2010.
Twice a year, the fund allocates grants to rural projects but it also reserves a portion of its income to be used in times of crisis.
PA
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