£10,000 is raised so far for village flood victims

Donations pour in as Newcastleton residents clear out houses

A FUNDRAISING campaign launched after the devastating flood in Newcastleton during Storm Dennis has raised
nearly £10,000 so far.
The GoFundMe account was set up by Jamie Thomson and Libby Kennedy.
Jamie said Newcastleton was devastated by Storm Dennis. The village witnessed the worst flooding in its history, leaving a mass of destruction behind it.
“I have started this page hoping many will donate so we can help those affected get back on their feet soon.
“Whether your donation be big or small, I’m sure those
affected would be truly grateful.
The main route from
Newcastleton to Hawick
remains closed this week as Scottish Borders Council battles to repair seven damaged sections.
The damage is at Cogsmill, East Broomy Cleuch,
Windshielknowe, Signalman’s Cottage, Whitrope Culvert,
Larriston Knowe, Whitrope Edge (north), north of
Sundhope, north of Whitropefoot, Whitropefoot, Dawston Burn and Windyknowe.
On Monday the council said more damage was caused after more rainfall and raised river levels, including a sinkhole in a verge near Whitrope where a gabion basket was undermined.
The statement said: “At this time, we can confirm that the road will be closed until the end of the week at least.
“The B6357 to Hawick
remains passable with care and is the diversion route for the B6399. The B6357 south is damaged but passable with care.”
Engineers from EE were in Newcastleton on Tuesday but, unfortunately, because of the floodwater affecting the green cabinet, it is still unsafe to
reconnect and the mast remains down.
John Lamont, Liddesdale’s MP visited the village last
Friday and said: “This is an extremely difficult time. I’ve been working with Barbara
Elborn, Laura Paterson and Greg Cuthbert from the community council. Many residents have been in touch asking for help.
“The devastation and disruption caused by flooding is huge. This is especially the case here where many properties are decades old and some are only one storey.
“The immediate priority is to help people get back to normality. We then need to ensure the flood protection scheme is prioritised so this doesn’t happen again.”
Rachael Hamilton MSP raised the issue in Holyrood and called for the government to offer
additional help to Borders’ communities.
She said: “I want to thank the resilient residents, emergency services and community groups for their hard work in very difficult circumstances.”