Witney News - First Red Cross flood payments in time for Xmas

First Red Cross flood payments in time for Xmas

An Oxfordshire-wide Red Cross flood grant scheme, launched 3 weeks ago, has made its first hardship payments.

At a meeting of the Red Cross Flood Grant Distribution Board on 17th December 2007 grants totalling over £20,000 were approved for payment to 16 vulnerable households who suffered during the summer floods.

The first payment comes out of the £252,000 allocated by the Red Cross to households in Oxfordshire.

Red Cross hardship relief is available for anyone who has suffered uninsured loss in the floods. Applicants must also be either on low income or benefit or be in a vulnerable group – disabled, elderly or single parents with young children.

Barry Tanswell of the Oxfordshire Community Foundation said: “We are very pleased that the first set of applicants will receive their money before Christmas. Hopefully this money will raise some Christmas cheer for vulnerable households who, this year, have been particularly hard hit by flooding.”

We are also pleased to be making these awards so soon after the launch of the scheme. However, we are still waiting for many forms to be returned and we urge applicants to send them back to us promptly so that we can process their claims.”

The Board recommended other awards, in principle, subject to the receipt of supporting documentation by claimants. These will be paid over the coming weeks as evidence is provided. The next Board meeting to consider more applications will be late January.

Application forms are available by phoning the relevant council from those listed below or by downloading a form from one of the website addresses shown.

West Oxfordshire District Council 01993 861000 www.westoxon.gov.uk/redcrossgrant
Oxford City Council 01865 249811 www.oxford.gov.uk
Vale of White Horse District Council 01235 520202 www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Cherwell District Council 01295 252535 www.cherwell-dc.gov.uk