A COCKERMOUTH group which was set up following the 2015 floods to prepare for future emergencies has been nominated for a Queen's award after excelling itself during the recent floods.

Cockermouth Emergency Response Group (CERG) worked flat out when the heavy rainfall hit at the end of last month.

A team of volunteers supported those in need and kept everyone informed regarding forecasts and river level predictions.

They set up a base in the town's Christ Church Rooms and worked tirelessly, helping pump flood water on South Street and checking in with those at risk of flooding.

Word has clearly got out and, as a great example of best practice, CERG has been approached by a community in East Anglia keen to set up a similar group.

It has also been nominated for the royal award in honour of its hard work during the floods and also the many Covid vaccination clinics it has helped run in town.

Co-ordinator Jo Crozier is delighted with the nomination and how well everything went recently.

"A lot has been theory up until now and never been put into operation in a real life situation," she said.

"We are delighted with how well it worked. We were monitoring rivers constantly, liaising with the Environment Agency and trying to help support all those who were anxious.

"Through Facebook we were able to provide information and reassurance which meant a lot to so many.

"We worked closely on the day with Allerdale and the county council."

The group has had a huge surge in the number of residents signing up and also people wanting to volunteer.

"We now have 230 residents signed up for assistance should they need it, and 312 volunteers," said Jo.

They have two pumps which were used by residents in Hatter's Croft, where some flats flooded.

It was decided to set up a JustGiving page following the floods to raise funds for another pump.

"We have no regular funding to support our work and have been reliant upon grants to date.

"Many people wanted to donate so we set up a donation page. We started out quite small thinking we could get £500 for a new pump," said Jo.

The money poured in and they raised more than £2,300, including £500 from Cockermouth RUFC.

"We're blown away with how much we have raised and the community kindness," said Jo.

"Money has come from local businesses, groups, residents and also tourists."

Jo said she was pleased with how things had evolved.

"We started off very small with a dedicated band of volunteers.

"Cockermouth has such a great support network. So many people are pro-active and we have tapped into that."

Looking ahead, they plan to stick with what works.

"We're always making tweaks to make it work better. We also want to encourage people to be prepared and self sufficient," she said.

"There's a lot of community anxiety in Cockermouth, we see our role as keeping things as calm as possible.

"The enthusiasm of all our volunteers has not diminished."

They plan to spend the money on a pump and also some equipment and hi-vis waterproof gear for the volunteers.