Wales & West Utilities thanks local community following January gas disruption
Wales & West Utilities is saying a huge ‘thank you’ to the local Kingsbridge community by supporting three local organisations following the gas disruption experienced earlier in the year.
In early January, more than 4,000 homes and businesses across the Kingsbridge, Salcombe and Malborough areas were without gas for several days after a third party damaged a gas main. Hard-working engineers from Wales & West Utilities worked around the clock in difficult, and freezing conditions, to repair the damage and restore supplies safely as quickly as possible.
Throughout the incident, the community came together, with local organisations, volunteers and partners all playing their part to support residents and look after those most vulnerable. As a gesture of thanks for the patience, kindness and co-operation shown during this challenging time, Wales & West Utilities has provided support to Malborough Amateur Dramatics (MAD) Group, Kingsbridge Area Foodbank, and the Young Salcombe Centre, which in turn is sharing the donation with the junior section of Salcombe Rugby Club.
Kingsbridge Area Foodbank played a crucial role during the incident by helping to facilitate the delivery of hot food to Priority Services Register (PSR) customers, ensuring vulnerable residents were supported while without gas.
Gerrie, a Trustee at Kingsbridge Area Foodbank, said:
“While this was an unfortunate incident for the community, we were very happy to support Wales & West Utilities and help make sure people received hot meals when they needed them most.
“It was a real team effort, with everyone playing their part, and we’re incredibly grateful to be recognised in this way. The support from Wales & West Utilities will make a meaningful difference to the people we help in our community.”
Malborough Amateur Dramatics (MAD) Group was supported after Wales & West Utilities operated its main incident base from the village hall in Malborough, while the group was in the midst of rehearsals for their recent show. The group’s understanding and flexibility during this time was greatly appreciated by the teams working to restore gas supplies.
In Salcombe, Wales & West Utilities worked closely with Salcombe Town Council while running an additional drop-in and food point at Salcombe Rugby Club. Following discussions with the Council, Young Salcombe Centre was identified as a local organisation whose work provides vital opportunities and support for young people in the area.
Bethan Jones, Head of People & Customer Experience at Wales & West Utilities, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to the community for the patience, kindness and support shown to our teams while we worked to restore gas supplies to our customers.
“We were truly overwhelmed by the kindness and community spirit shown throughout the incident and the support we received from local organisations and volunteers made a real difference, especially in helping to look after vulnerable customers.
“We’d like to thank local partners, volunteers and stakeholders who worked alongside us to to support residents and businesses.
“Giving back to these groups is our way of saying a heartfelt thank you to the community for standing with us and supporting one another during a challenging time.”
Wales & West Utilities is the gas emergency and pipeline service, delivering energy to over 7.5 million people across Wales and the south west of England. We don’t sell gas; we transport it through an extensive underground network of more than 35,000 kilometres of pipes.
If you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide, call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999 immediately. Trained engineers are available 24/7 to respond and keep you safe.