- Donations to the Stanford Centre, Salvation Army and Red Cross
- Gesture of appreciation after major operation to restore gas supplies to 1300 homes
National Grid engineers, who descended on Laceby to restore gas supplies, are returning to the North East Lincolnshire village with a £1,200 ‘thank you’ to the local community centre.
The gas network company is donating the funds to the Stanford Centre, which is staffed entirely by volunteers, as a gesture of appreciation. Last month (October) National Grid turned the building into the nerve centre of a major operation to get 1300 homes back on gas after a main was damaged in a nearby field.
National Grid is also donating £1,000 to the Salvation Army and £250 to the British Red Cross to thank them for their assistance during the incident.
The Salvation Army provided food and hot drinks for the engineers throughout the incident, keeping them going as they restored gas supplies. Meanwhile, British Red Cross volunteers visited vulnerable residents, updating them on what was happening and passing on any concerns to National Grid. National Grid has also thanked North East Lincolnshire Council, which provided volunteers who helped identify and support vulnerable residents.
National Grid Network Manager Peter Wilson will be presenting the donations to the Stanford Centre, Salvation Army and the Red Cross on Monday (16 November).
Mr Wilson said: “The support of the community was crucial in our efforts to get everyone back on gas. We would like to say ‘thank you’ to all those who helped us in this major operation and to the residents of Laceby for patiently bearing with us while we restored their supplies.”
Beverley Daulton of the Stanford Centre said: “The money that National Grid will be donating will help with the running costs for this coming winter. It will help keep the centre warm for the people that use the facilities on offer and to keep a building open that the village are proud to call ‘their own.’”
The Stanford Centre is run by a dedicated band of volunteers. The centre is used for many different activities throughout the week including camera club, Tai Chi, Local History and the Women’s Institute. The Library is also run by volunteers and opens for three sessions a week to the local community, providing tea, coffee and a place to chat with friends. Everyone is welcome, no matter how young or old.
Homes and businesses in Laceby were left without gas after severe damage to a medium pressure pipe on 8 October. Dozens of National Grid engineers were drafted from across the East Midlands and beyond to repair the pipe and reconnect properties.
National Grid managers set up an incident room in the Community Centre, where they could co-ordinate the major restoration effort and provide help and information for residents.
Hot plates and fan heaters were given to vulnerable householders and North East Lincolnshire Council provided support for affected residents. Engineers had to visit every home and business twice. The first visit was to ensure the gas was switched off and then, when the pipe was repaired, to switch the gas back on and ensure it was flowing safely to appliances.