The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Dr John Sentamu, has issued a call for donations to a special fund for communities in urban areas hit by the recent floods across the UK.
The CUF (Church Urban Fund) Disaster Relief Fund has been set up to provide much needed help to those devastated by the recent floods.Launching the fund, Dr Sentamu assured that local churches would work with flood victims in their long-term recovery.
"As the floods begin to subside, the full extent of their impact will only now become apparent. Local churches will be working to help people long after the TV cameras and reporters have left the scene," he said.
The CUF appeal will help those with the most urgent needs by working through the agency of local churches, many of which are already being used as relief centres and places of respite and shelter.
The fund will help victims by helping them to meet their most basic needs "wherever possible", the Archbishop said, before the medium to long-term help of insurance and government monies kick in.
Many people across the UK have expressed a desire to support flood victims during their current hardship.
The Archbishop appealed to them to give to the CUF appeal: "Essentially this is about local people helping local people, but your help is vital too in giving what money you can - you can make a real difference and bring hope to those facing a bleak future."
The Archbishop's latest appeal comes two weeks after he called for donations to the ARC-Addington fund set up to alleviate the suffering of farmers whose crops and livestock have been wiped out by the floods.
Reflecting on the need for both funds to target those with needs created by the floods, Dr Sentamu said: "Whilst the response to the fund for those in rural areas has been heartening, the reality is that those hit hardest by these floods in town and country are those who had very little to begin with and are now left uninsured, washed out and wiped out by this flooding.
"We all need to give what we can to help those who need it most.
