Community Resilience Group call for new volunteers
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A volunteer group set up to help people in an emergency has issued a rallying call for new volunteers.
Ellon Community Resilience Group chairwoman Tessa Carr wants to remind the community about the importance of the group which was set up following the major floods that struck the town in January 2016.
Now four years on they are keen to add to the team of volunteers.
Ms Carr said: “We are continually asking for new volunteers.
“We have eight members at present and need more people to cover rescue centres if there is an emergency.
“It is not just to do with flooding, it is to do with any emergency in Ellon and it is trying to get that message across to residents and local community that it is for anything.
“They still think it is just about flooding and that isn’t the case it about other things such as transport interruptions or power outages.
“It is really valuable as we have seen in other emergencies across the UK how community based teams have been important.
“It is a friendly face to welcome people in bad emergencies to rescue centres.
“People are also able to talk to the volunteers to get help for them or just to calm them if they have had a bad experience.”
As a founding member of the group she added: “I was part of the team that started the group as I was flooded out in 2016 in the Meadows.
“I wanted to give something back to the community to help in future events and the fact that we have backup for places to
evacuate to other than schools if it happens in the future.”
She explained what the role would involve: “It is mainly done online and we meet up every six months as a team.
“We are due to meet up again in the spring, unless anything crops up.
“Most things are done via mobile and on computer to talk each other.
“A lot of people have other commitments and that’s why we have decide to not have monthly meetings.”
She added: “ We are looking for volunteers aged 18 and over.
“If they have valuable experiences from their lives that they feel that the team will benefit from will be brilliant.
“We understand that people have family commitments it is just about building a really good team and adding to it to provide
that cover in an emergency.
“Especially with the recent Ellon Flood study and it is just to jog people’s memories about needing more help in the community.”
Those interested in being part of the group can contact Tessa through their Facebook page or on 07951 836 658 for more information.
