IN JULY 2007 communities across Oxfordshire were submerged by flood water in one of the biggest disasters to strike the county.

Along with the deluge of rain came a deluge of cash as residents pledged to help those in their community who had homes and businesses destroyed by the rising tide.

But those who wanted to pledge money were directed to the national Red Cross, as Oxfordshire councils were unable to deal with donations.

This meant the £252,000 collected was shared between Oxfordshire and other flood-hit counties.

Three years on, a special fund is being created to allow future disaster donations to be ploughed back into Oxfordshire.

Run by Oxfordshire County Council, the disaster relief charity will spring into action when catastrophe strikes.

Nick Gladwin’s home in Earl Street, West Oxford, was one of the hundreds of properties affected.

He said: “I think this is a great idea. There was massive community spirit at the time, it was amazing. This fund makes a lot of sense.”

Labour councillor Liz Brighouse, who was chairman of the county council in 2007, had called for the creation of such a charity.

She said: “People wanted to help those affected but Oxfordshire didn’t have a charity it could use to do that. People needed money and needed it quickly. They have insurance claims but that comes through later.

“If you’re flooded, your kids don’t have clothes to wear and you need money immediately.”

Judith Heathcote, the council’s cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, said: “By doing this, money donated in the event of any disaster will benefit the people of Oxfordshire.

“We appreciate the money in 2007 went to people in need but it’s nice for it to go to people in the communities who donated it.”

The fund was backed by all the political parties on the council and, once created, the county will act as trustee, unless the area affected is solely within the boundaries of just Oxford or one of the county’s district councils. That authority would then act as trustee.