Chamber member launches initiative to help local community
Business launches initiative to help local community
The storm and tidal surges of December 2013 battered the whole of the UK but the East Coast was particularly hit hard with many towns and villages seeing disruption and significant property damage.
The East Coast village of Hemsby, just north of Great Yarmouth, hit the national media headlines when the raging North Sea attacked the shoreline so badly that five properties were actually lost in to the sea leaving residents homeless and loosing virtually all of their possessions. At the time the local community rallied to help those involved and residents came forward to offer emergency accommodation and support.
The Hemsby residents, have for a while, been working together to raise awareness to the problems their village was facing and in fact been so concerned about the threat of coastal erosion they had started to build a 200 metre stretch of their own sea defences, raising money, buying the raw materials and hiring plant equipment to make 3 cubic metre concrete blocks and positioning them on the beach in an attempt to slow down the effects of the sea. This battle continues and as their fund raising efforts gain momentum they have received a big boost by local business R Todd Insurance Services who has launched a campaign to make financial donations to the Save Hemsby Coastline project.
The initiative will see Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Member R Todd Insurance Services donate the equivalent of 5% of the value of new insurance premiums generated from within the NR29 post code area, which covers Hemsby and the surrounding villages.
Business Development Executive Steve Tubby said “the residents of Hemsby are not only being affected directly by the effects of the North Sea but also indirectly as many are finding insurance premiums rising and in some cases insurance being declined. Our aim is to do our utmost to offer residents and business owner’s competitive insurance solutions and in doing so we will also support the Save Hemsby Coastline scheme financially.”
In the few days since the scheme was launched, one such Hemsby business has really benefitted from the expertise of R Todd Insurance Services, Steve explains “we have just helped a Hemsby business reduce its insurance costs by over £750.00, a saving of 46% compared to their renewal proposed by their existing insurer. This massive saving underpins our determination to reduce costs as well as donate to the charity.”
Steve Tubby adds “R Todd Insurance Services have been the area’s independent insurance brokers for over thirty six years and we are looking to use our extensive experience and local knowledge to offer competitive personal and commercial insurance. So if residents and business owners in the NR29 post code areas are looking for insurance for their home, car, van, boat, or their business then we would certainly encourage them to talk to us and get a no obligation quotation, as not only will we work hard to be as competitive as we possibly can be, but if they choose to use our services they will know that together we are helping the local community. As an independent broker we are not tied to any specific insurer so have the wide UK insurance market open to us, with many schemes only being available to brokers and we would pitch ourselves against the endless online comparison sites thereby offering competitive prices but with the added advantage of dealing with a real local person, making resolving any claims or queries so much easier.”