#backtobusiness: Pupils send letters of support to flood-hit Shrewsbury businesses
Kind-hearted schoolchildren have written heartfelt messages of support to residents and business owners in the wake of the devastating floods.
Each pupil at Coleham Primary School created a card and they were hand delivered to shops and residents, including the elderly who were forced to leave Hazeldine Court.
The school was closed early on Monday as well as all day Tuesday and Wednesday as the river level continued to rise.
It was fortunate enough to be on ground high enough to avoid any damage, where just yards away water was cascading into shops and homes.
#backtobusiness - how to take part
Let us know when your business is back in action after the floods
Let us know how people can help
Tell us about customers and residents who have gone above and beyond to help
We'll share the best stories with our readers and help Shropshire get back on its feet
TWITTER - use the hashtag #backtobusiness to share your stories with us
FACEBOOK - Visit our Facebook Community Noticeboard to share your stories
Share your stories using this form:
The community spirit in the area has been much admired, with residents and care workers being ferried up and down in boats and people doing what they can to help each other keep the water out. And the children have been following in their footsteps to show their support.
Coleham Primary head teacher Claire Jones, said: “The school is in the heart of this community and the children care passionately about what is going on locally.
“Every child in the school has created a card and written their own message of support and members of our school council hand-delivered these on Friday to help try and raise spirits as much as we can.”
This week the school will be gearing up to host a “Pull together for the Coleham Community” event on Saturday.
The children are creating posters to go up around the area to advertise this event and create a buzz around Coleham.
Need help - here's where to find it
Financial support is available to those affected, with a £500 payment and possible follow-up grants. Call 0345 6789006 for details.
Our councils offer up to date advice. In Telford call 01952 384000, in Shropshire call 0345 678 9006 and in Powys call 0345 602 7035.
If your food business had been affected, contact Shropshire Council Health Protection Team. Call 0345 6789067 or email food@shropshire.gov.uk
The government provides a guide on recovery from a flood. Visit gov.uk/government/publications/personal-flood-plan
The Environment Agency can give advice on watercourses near your home or business. Call 03708 506506.
Staff, parents and their families and friends will be invited to go to Coleham to shop local and support the independent shops and businesses, some of which were forced to close and twice endure a huge clean-up operation.
Ms Jones added: “Our ‘golden threads’ in our curriculum are resilience and community, so I have been talking to all the children in assembly about the resilience of our local traders to have been flooded twice in one week.
"As a school we support many of the traders and were devastated to see their loss.
“After the clean-up operation, from speaking to businesses in the Coleham area, we realised what they need most is for people to come down here, support them, spend some money locally and spread some community spirit after such a difficult time.
“Our children have learnt so much, not only about floods, but the resilience of the traders who were flooded twice in seven days and what is happening to people and businesses which have been so personally affected.”
