Last updated at 10:43, Saturday, 28 November 2009

The Prince of Wales hailed Cumbria’s “inspirational” community spirit on a visit to a flood relief centre in Workington.

Prince Charles met volunteers at the Northside Community Centre, which is being used as food distribution point and a temporary GP surgery for residents on the stranded estate.

Northside was cut off from Workington last week when the two bridges linking the estate with the heart of the town were swept away and a third closed amid fears of collapse.

The Prince also inspected work at the new Workington (North) temporary station being built by rail company Network Rail at Siddick.
He chatted to organisers at the community centre and said he was very impressed with the operation and how the estate had pulled together in a time of great distress.

Centre manager Joe Bell said: “It was absolutely fantastic for him to come and he gave everybody a real lift.

“He was impressed by what he had seen and particularly the community spirit and resilience people had shown.”

The Prince asked a group of women what the centre was usually used and the reply was: “Bingo.”

He chatted at length to volunteer Doreen Murray.

She said: “He was asking where the food had come from and he said he would contact a supermarket for us to get more. We told him we were running low on sugar so he said he would get some for us."

First published at 16:41, Friday, 27 November 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk