A CHARITY that provides care for the elderly held a coffee morning to thank staff and volunteers who came to people's rescue during the December floods.

Abbeyfield Fairmead in Kendal held the special event to thank people for their efforts when the houses of local older people were damaged in the floods, and the closed Abbeyfield property was offered as a temporary new home.

Members of the Kendal community, alongside local Abbeyfield staff, were quick in getting involved through donating temporary furniture, helping those who needed to move and making sure the home was a comfortable and welcoming environment.

Joining residents, staff, family and friends to say thank you was Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron.

Abbeyfield’s business manager for the North West, Elaine Conway, said: “This is absolutely the least we could do to recognise the huge effort made to assist people in such difficult circumstances, and to thank the community for their invaluable help during the floods.

“If it hadn’t been for their quick thinking and altruism in helping us to open our doors, we would have been faced with a much bigger problem than we were.”

Michael Slack, the manager of the Kendal branch of Abbeyfield, said it was important for those who were helped to meet the people that came to their aid.

He said: "The main idea was to thank the volunteers that came. It was also a social event where the people who benefited could meet the people who helped make it happen and have a chat with Tim Farron.

"We took in 12 flood victims in the bad weather and that's why we needed the property up and running, it hadn't been used as a house for over a year."