Home for Christmas - pensioners who spent last Christmas in caravan delighted to be back

Derek and June Driver - back in their home for Christmas after spending it in a caravan last year.

Just a year ago he stood over the crumbling remains of the old one burning cladding that had been ripped off the walls in the aftermath of the Wainfleet floods in a bid to keep their home dry..

Christmas 2019 , six months after he and his wife June were evacuated when their house was engulfed by the waterfall from the burst banks of the River Steeping, was to be spent in a caravan in their drive.

But least they would be together with their little dog Snuffy and they were grateful for that.

Freemasons (from left) Bob Hoffman, Terry Smalley and Victor Fox paying a visit to Derek and June when they finally got back into their home.

Two months' of rain fell over three days in June 2019, forcing 1,000 people out of their homes - about half the population - and flooding nearly 130 properties in the town.

Most people were back in their homes by the summer of 2020, some delayed by Covid-19, thankful the ordeal of seeing their properterties in ruins was at last over.

However, this was not so for Derek and June Driver, who had no insurance and did not qualify for any major grants to renovate their property.

The Standard visited Derek almost a year after the floods and found him attempting to clean up an old cooker in the kitchen that desperately needed replacing after the flood damage.

Derek in his lounge a year after the floods - he had only managed to get plaster on some walls and was saving up to finish the work.

Some parts of the lounge walls had been replastered but the property was nowhere near ready to be lived in.

"Our first Christmas after the floods was in the caravan and it was cold," said Derek, whose wife suffers dementia.

"You are not comfortable.

"There was a wood burner and I got a couple of little stoves to help and always got up before June to make it warm for her.

Derek and June in their garden with their little dog Snuffy - they were amazed their flowers had survived after their garden was flooded.

"It was using £50 a week to heat but when the heating went off it was freezing in there.

"After the floods we got a one-off payment of £1500 from a distaster fund but that didn't go far and I've been saving my pension to do bits.

"The council had condemned the property as unfit to live in so we had to stay in the caravan - and we are grateful to the Rotary Club of Skegness for donating that - but at least we were still together and with out dog Snuffy.

"That was the main thing."

The old back door of the property left rotting after the floods.

Things began to change when their plight was brought to the attention of the Lumley Lodge of the Freemasons in Skegness.

The Freemasons organisation had donated £70,000 to the floods fund and local members were unaware there were victims still not in their home a year after the disaster.

"I couldn't believe what I saw when I visited Derek and June," said Victor. ""He was trying to clean up that old cooker and I said to him that just needs chucking out.

"I was overwhelmed by the job Derek was doing looking after June and saving to do what he could to get them back in their home.

"But they were skimping on food and that was not good - they shouldn't have had to live like that."

Following talks with members, the Lodge agreed to help the couple not only get back in their home, but going forward to support them with getting paperwork done.

Derek attempting to clean an old cooker in his dilapidated kitchen.

One of the issues with the property not being insured was Derek is Dyslexit and he was unable to secure a policy on the phone.

"Now he has a new kitchen, his lounge has been finished, we've helped put blinds up and made sure they have enough coal to keep them warm.

"We've also helped tidy up outside, including cutting down some trees, so they have plenty of wood too.

"We are so pleased to see them back in their home and it looks amazing."

Terry Smalley, Olmana at the Lodge, said he was delighted with the outcome.

"In the past we have always supported charities as a whole rather than individuals and our members a consideral amount of money each year to do this.

"However, seeing the difference we have made to this couple who needed our help have made us review this and we will be looking at individual projects in the future.

"Our support for Derek and June has not only been to get them back in their home but also to make sure they are OK and on top of their paperwork in the future.

"They are a lovely couple and we are so happy to see them back in their home."

Derek, who suffered a small stroke earlier in the year, said he could not thank the Freemasons enough for their help.

"I can't tell you what it means to be back in our home. We'll be warm and we can do our own thing.

"We never thought the house would be ready in time for this Christmas - June has been poorly and I had a stroke not long ago.

"We did some work bit by bit - saving some and borrowing some - and that's how we went on.

The Freemasons have been amazing in what they have done for us - we couldn't have done it without them.

"We were grateful for the grant we received from the council but it didn't go far and it has been a struggle.

"This Christmas will be so different - it is just us and little Snuffy but that's all we need.."