'Resilient' charity still recovering from flood

A homelessness charity, which is still recovering from the aftermath of flooding caused by Storm Bert, says its "resilience" is what is keeping them going.

"The flood was incredible - it did incredibly bad things to our base," said Jo Kitching, CEO of the charity Doorway.

The Wiltshire charity's base at The Citadel in Chippenham town centre is expected to face months of repair work after flood water damaged the building.

"When things like these happen, it can have an absolutely devastating impact," said Ms Kitching.

"And if we weren't as resilient as we are, there is a possibility that it would be the end of us."

Speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire, Ms Kitching said: "The kitchen is devastated - it's all gone.

"We have beautiful wooden laminate flooring which has all been lifted and that has revealed some interesting floor surfaces underneath."

To speed up the drying process, they have set up eight industrial fans, all which run constantly.

"With eight fans all on 24 hours a day, imagine what our electricity bill is going to look like," continued Ms Kitching.

Doorway is the main support service for rough sleepers, homeless people and those at risk of homelessness in Chippenham,

Many of the charity's service continue at Rotary Hall and community hub.

"Our support workers have done an amazing job at still being able to support people," said Ms Kitching.

"We're an incredibly resilient organisation, so despite the fact that we can't use this floor, we've still been able to offer proper support to people that need it."

However, it is still uncertain when the building will be able to reopen. Ms Kitching said it may not be until June or July.

So far, £5,000 has been raised through a fundraiser on JustGiving to help get the charity back on its feet.

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