Our organisation faces significant ongoing operating costs, including public liability insurance, which costs several thousand pounds each year, and the maintenance and running costs of our main response vehicle. This vehicle operates throughout the year, in all weather conditions, enabling us to respond to emergencies and support individuals and communities when they are most vulnerable.

We are seeking funding to help cover essential operating costs over the next six months, ensuring we can maintain our response capability during the busy winter period. Rising fuel costs, particularly diesel for our response vehicle and petrol for the chainsaws and generators we deploy during severe weather, place increasing pressure on our limited resources. These resources are vital when storms cause fallen trees, blocked roads and power outages, leaving communities isolated and residents without essential services.

The funding would contribute towards vehicle road tax, diesel and petrol, as well as essential chainsaw consumables, including bar oil and replacement chains. We also aim to equip an additional team member with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), strengthening our operational capacity and ensuring they can work safely when responding to emergencies.

In addition, we are seeking funding to purchase a further portable generator to support vulnerable residents who rely on electricity-dependent medical equipment, such as home oxygen concentrators and medical beds. During power cuts, the loss of electricity can have serious consequences for people with medical needs. We currently have only two small generators available for this purpose, and an additional unit would increase our ability to provide timely assistance when demand exceeds our existing capacity.

Deployments of these generators are assessed and requested through the Health and Social Care Partnership, helping ensure that generators are directed to individuals whose health and wellbeing may be at risk due to a loss of power. This need was demonstrated during recent power cuts associated with Storm Boelo, when access to reliable backup power was essential for vulnerable members of the community.

By supporting these essential costs, the funding would help us maintain a reliable emergency response service, improve the safety of our volunteers, and strengthen our ability to support vulnerable residents during severe weather and other emergencies. It would also help reduce the risk of communities becoming isolated, enable earlier clearance of blocked routes where safe to do so, and provide reassurance to those who depend on essential medical equipment. Ultimately, this investment would help protect lives, support community resilience and ensure that our organisation can continue delivering a vital service to the coastal community throughout the challenging winter months.