Sussex Yacht Club volunteers work through the night to support flood-hit residents in Shoreham

As flood water rushed through the Sussex Yacht Club premises, a team of people worked through the early hours of Tuesday morning to do what they could to limit the impact of the water, supporting those affected by the flooding and attempting to prevent vehicles from putting nearby properties at risk of further damage by driving through flood waters.

Derek Copeman, Commodore of Sussex Yacht Club said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who gave their time and assistance in the early hours of the morning to support the community - we appreciate everything they did during what was a worrying time for all. We hope those affected are now safe, dry, and any damage is limited.

“Unfortunately, with sea levels rising, we will have to accept that incidents like this will become more commonplace, so the events of this week have been a stark reminder of the vital need for the flood wall in Shoreham. It is incredibly frustrating that the residents of Shoreham are still waiting for this work to be completed.”

In February 2021, Sussex Yacht Club handed over the land where its previous clubhouse had stood, allowing for a project to build a wall up to 2.2 metres in height to defend dozens of properties from the overflowing River Adur during storms and enabling improved access for cyclists and pedestrians. The flood project, which is being delivered by Adur District Council, West Sussex County Council, and the Environment Agency, has faced a number of setbacks.

Mr Copeman added: “We worked tirelessly over some years to hand over the land where our old clubhouse stood by the required deadline because we know how vital the flood defences are for our community. We hope that a resolution to the current engineering issues can be found swiftly. We are committed to doing all that we can to support that to happen, whilst keeping the safety of Shoreham residents, visitors and members of our club at the forefront of our minds.”