Ten days on from the floods that have devastated residents and businesses across Greater Manchester, the clean-up is only just beginning for one community club.
Following heavy rain on December 31, the flood defences lining the already swollen River Mersey in Fletcher Moss Park had suffered a severe breach, about 20 metres long.
This sent a tide of water pouring northwards, past Didsbury Sports Ground, ravaging allotments beyond and finally spilling onto Withington Golf Club and Palatine Road, prompting the rescue of hundreds of people from flats and hotels.
Volunteers at the sports ground arrived at their clubhouse on New Year’s Day morning to find what they described as a ‘river’, head-height, flowing over the playing fields and through the car park.
The scale of the flooding on New Year’s Day after the Mersey breached its banks
(Image: Didsbury Toc H RFC)
The flooding was so severe that volunteers had been unable to even access the building until today (Friday, January 10) to assess the damage, as the standing water, capped by a thick layer of ice, finally began to recede.
“Half the building is still flooded,” committee member Ian Bailey told the M.E.N. “The back wall caved in under the pressure of the flood, and the bottom floor and changing rooms are under a foot of water.”
“The building is full of mud, trees, branches, debris. And it’s so unsafe to enter – you just don’t know what’s in there.”
The sports ground, which is run by volunteers and home to over twenty different teams spanning rugby union, football, and cricket, as well as a running club, has been completely devastated by the flooding.
“It’s just wiped out a facility that between 800 and 1,000 people used every week,” said Ian. “And it’s going to take months before it’s back to normal.”
“Financially, it’s devastating. We run a function room with a bar in the clubhouse to fund all our activities, but none of that revenue is going to be there now.”
The aftermath of New Year’s floods at Didsbury Sports Ground
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Besides the damage to the building itself, the car park and playing fields beyond remain underwater, now frozen over and topped with a fine dusting of snow.
United Utilities attended today to begin pumping water back into the Mersey, although volunteers say relief measures from the water company and the Environment Agency were hindered by recent freezing weather. Electricians and building firms also visited the club to begin drawing up quotes for the cost of repairs.
Due to the club’s location, it is uninsurable for flood losses, so they have since launched a £50,000 appeal to help fund the extensive clean-up, electrical, plumbing and building works required.
Ian Bailey and Arthur Crabtree have played and volunteered at the rugby club for more than twenty years. Both are accustomed to the area, on the edge of a flood basin, becoming inundated now and again – but both agree this time was different.
Frozen playing fields at Didsbury Sports Ground
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“The building is built to be flooded, to a level agreed with the Environment Agency,” Ian explained. “The whole lower block is built in a way so that, following a flood, you can just get the jet washer out and quickly get back to operating normally.”
“Usually we get several hours’ head start and several warnings before the EA says they’re considering flooding the basin,” added Arthur. “That gives us more time to move our valuable stuff to the higher floor.”
“If we do that, we usually save everything. But we had no warning, and no time.”
Flood damage to the wall of the club house
(Image: Didsbury TOC H Rugby Club)
An Environment Agency spokesperson previously told the M.E.N: “Environment Agency teams have been working around the clock over the New Year, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected, including in Greater Manchester.
“More broadly, we are delivering a long-term funding programme of flood defences, investing over £1.25 billion this year to scale up national resilience through building new and improving existing flood defences.
“We know providing the nation with the best available information on flood risk is vital to ensuring that policy makers, practitioners and communities are ready to adapt to flooding.”
The bank of the Mersey – which acts as a flood defence – suffered a 20 metre breach
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Didsbury Sports Ground has received an outpouring of support from the local community. The appeal, launched on January 2, has raised almost £18,000.
“The local community is great around here,” said Ian. “This is a community hub and everyone benefits from it – and they’re all offering to help, which is great.”
“But some of the work is bigger than that – we need some serious professionals to come in. We’re going to have to rebuild the whole back wall of the changing room block.
“But we will get there and we will find a way.”
Anyone wishing to donate to the appeal can do so here.