EVEN THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT has pledged £20+m to put the country back to rights after July's devastation, support from the state won't plug the gap, so to speak.

Several charity appeals have kicked into action. The National Floods Appeal of the British Red Cross (see profile) is by some distance the highest-profile and most successful: in its first hour it raked in £300,000, and it's also attracted big donations from companies including Tesco, Halifax and GlaxoSmithKline. The Red Cross's effort is genuinely national and volunteers are providing a wide range of services from evacuations to distributing supplies and general hand-holding.

St John Ambulance (see profile) is also heavily involved in the relief effort, but doesn't have a specific appeal to raise money for the floods.

Less in the spotlight, but also involved at a national level is WRVS (see profile). Its volunteers help the emergency services in every flood incident across the country and it is asking for £20 donations to keep things going.

The citizens of North Cornwall, who suffered big losses from its 2004 floods, are reaching out to help the rest of the country with their North Cornwall Flood Appeal. The Red Cross will actually be processing the money raised, but the trustees of the appeal will decide how they're distributed.

If you’re interested in helping in a specific area, a range of regional appeals have been launched:

• Hull was badly affected by the floods with 16,000 homes flooded, leaving 35,000 people stranded.  The city council has launched a Hull Flood Fund.
• The South Yorkshire Flood Disaster Relief Fund is raising money for those affected in Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield. It will be making grants to help individuals, families and community groups get through immediate hardships.
• Also in Rotherham, Rother FM and the Rotherham Lions Club are asking for your donations… and unwanted furniture.
• In East Riding of Yorkshire, Real Aid has launched a Flood Appeal and is looking for donations. The local council has more information.
• Gloucestershire is one of the hardest-hit areas and a local radio station is organising a local flood appeal.

If we haven't mentioned the specific area you want to help, check with the local council whether there are local appeals. Organisations such as museums that have suffered severe damage also might be in need of your cash.

A last tip: use the Everyclick site for all your web searches. As well as helping your selected charities, you'll provide solace to the poor souls at Everyclick whose offices in Moreton-on-Marsh were dramatically swamped by floodwater this week.

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