The Midcounties Co-operative has launched an emergency fundraising initiative at its stores in Wiltshire to raise money to help its members that have been affected by the recent devastating floods.

The flood fund was launched this weekend with a £10,000 donation from the society, and will be accessible to members that have been affected by flood water entering their homes.

Customer donations have been rolling in at The Midcounties Co-operative’s stores in Wiltshire, which include those in Malmesbury and Winsley, and fundraising will continue until the end of February or for as long as adverse weather conditions continue.

The fundraising initiative is part of The Midcounties Co-operative’s social responsibility commitment to support the communities in which it trades, and sees members, colleagues and customers working together to support fellow members in need.

Members whose homes have been damaged by the floods can apply for a £100 grant from the fund to help cover out of pocket expenses by downloading an application form from www.midcounties.coop

Maxine Sharman, of the Midcounties Co-operative, said: “The devastating storms sweeping across the country have damaged the homes of thousands of people.

"It’s often the unexpected expenses such as excess payments on insurance claims that can leave people out of pocket, and we have launched this fund to support our members that have been caught up in the floods.

“We ran a similar initiative in 2007 to help members who were affected by the southern floods and again we’ve already been overwhelmed by the support that our customers, colleagues and members have given to help those affected.

"Our core values revolve around supporting our members and this is just a small way that we can help to make a difference.”