0:00:05 > 0:00:09This winter, the UK has seen the wettest weather on record
0:00:09 > 0:00:11for more than a century.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Tens of thousands of homes were flooded in the severe storms
0:00:14 > 0:00:17in Northern Ireland, Wales, the north of England
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and right up to Aberdeenshire in Scotland.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22On today's Songs Of Praise, I'm in Kendal,
0:00:22 > 0:00:27one of the first communities to suffer from this extreme weather,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30to discover how the long road to recovery is being
0:00:30 > 0:00:34eased by community spirit and acts of kindness.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39We'll be meeting individuals who were caught up in the rising waters.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Just absolutely mental. I'm absolutely shattered.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47And we'll see how churches have been a focal point as different parts
0:00:47 > 0:00:51of the community rallied together, forming lasting bonds.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54As a result of all this now, I've made more friends in the last
0:00:54 > 0:00:58four or five weeks than I have in the last 20 years.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02And David Grant is in Twickenham to find out why one young man
0:01:02 > 0:01:06chose to sing a much-loved worship song, 10,000 Reasons,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08whilst undergoing brain surgery.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22And of course, we've also got a selection of inspiring music
0:01:22 > 0:01:26from across the country, starting right here in Cumbria.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30From The Keswick Convention in the majestic North Lakes, here's one of
0:01:30 > 0:01:35my favourite hymns, led by the ever-popular Stuart Townend and band.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08The storms that wreaked havoc in December
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and into January devastated large parts of Britain.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Schools were closed, hospital services cancelled
0:04:18 > 0:04:21and many counties declared major incidents.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23You know, all our hearts go out to them.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26To be flooded is a terrible experience anyway
0:04:26 > 0:04:31and it's even more terrible when it happens at Christmas or New Year.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's just...horrific.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37At this time of year especially.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38Can you just make sure it's unlocked
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and we'll come in and we'll have a chat?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46The Army and other services were called to the rescue
0:04:46 > 0:04:49as thousands were evacuated from their homes,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and flood warnings remain even today.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Cumbria was one of the first counties to be affected.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Storm Desmond broke all previous UK records last month
0:05:00 > 0:05:05when, here in Cumbria, no less than 330ml of rain,
0:05:05 > 0:05:10that's more than a foot of it, fell in just one 24-hour period.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13It completely ruined Christmas for thousands of people
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and it's going to take communities many months to rebuild themselves.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- MAN:- 30 to 40 houses that have been flooded, at least.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33You can see where the level of the water has reached on this house.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39The Sandylands Estate here in Kendal is an area not used to flooding.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Storm Desmond took the 3,000 residents completely by surprise.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Just absolutely mental. I'm absolutely shattered.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56But we got the community coming together and that's brilliant.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Community worker, the Reverend Jonny Gios, filmed events on his mobile
0:05:59 > 0:06:03as they unfolded and helped a grandmother and two young children
0:06:03 > 0:06:05escape from their home.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06Hold on to Chris.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Sandylands Methodist Church, where Jonny works,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14became an emergency relief centre,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17working together with other local churches.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20That is for those people who really desperately need
0:06:20 > 0:06:22to get assistance immediately.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24- REPORTER:- 'Their church was flooded,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'but its members opened the doors anyway today.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'Their mission, to help the parts of Kendal in most desperate need.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35'They went on to the streets of the Sandylands Estate and into houses
0:06:35 > 0:06:39'which lie devastated. This is not a wealthy community.'
0:06:39 > 0:06:42We are calling on people who are in government, local government,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45to come down here and actually see Sandylands itself and the state
0:06:45 > 0:06:49of what's happened around here and the people who are vulnerable,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52the people who are destitute and really have lost everything
0:06:52 > 0:06:53and have got no insurance,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57to come down and help them and see what they can do.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00The church itself didn't escape the rising floodwaters
0:07:00 > 0:07:04and today it's operating from what they call the Encouragement Cabin.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Now a building site, everything here has been contaminated by flood water
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and sewage and is heading for the skip.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17But the priority for Jonny and the team is supporting the community.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And how are you able to help people? Is there any help available?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22That's what at the moment we're looking at,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25trying to get those people who have offered their services
0:07:25 > 0:07:27for plastering, for building work,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30to actually come up from the various areas of the UK to help
0:07:30 > 0:07:34and assist with that work and that's going to take a bit of coordination.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38And how significant do you think it was for the community
0:07:38 > 0:07:42that all this happened shortly before Christmas
0:07:42 > 0:07:48and Christmas was not the same as it should have been for anybody?
0:07:48 > 0:07:50No, I mean, it was a lot of people who lost Christmas presents
0:07:50 > 0:07:53and various things were supposed to be on here at the church -
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Christingle services, carol services - they didn't happen.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59I've really kind of struggled with this over this Christmas,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03but remembering the Christmas message that God sent his son Jesus
0:08:03 > 0:08:08into the mess and muck 2,000 years ago and then we're deployed
0:08:08 > 0:08:12as his ambassadors, his people, to go into the mess and muck
0:08:12 > 0:08:15to help people and to be shining lights for him.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Repair work after the floods is underway across Britain,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53including at Sandylands Estate here in Cumbria.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56It'll be many months before newlyweds Sarah and Dave Benjamin
0:10:56 > 0:10:59can move back into their new home after it was flooded
0:10:59 > 0:11:01by three feet of water.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Wow! Awful lot still to do here. - Incredible.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09It's bringing all the memories back to me. What can I say?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- It's just horrible. - You can see how high the water was.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- This is a sort of tide mark here, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- So up to your waist?- Up to our waists in...- Did you wade in?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22We did, yeah, in contaminated water.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26It was cold, it was dark, it was quite scary, really.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28The fridge-freezer was at the bottom,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30that was floating around banging into things.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33So I was just picking up some of the sentimental things quickly
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and getting them upstairs as best and as fast as I could,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40but my memories of one thing in particular,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44the Christmas tree floating around with the lights on still
0:11:44 > 0:11:47in all the darkness, it was incredible to see.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50And the irony is that you've been Good Samaritans, haven't you?
0:11:50 > 0:11:54We went to help at the church, we were waist-high in water then
0:11:54 > 0:11:57cos it flooded down there at our local church first.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00I went and got a lady out of her property, she was too scared
0:12:00 > 0:12:03to leave, but we managed to persuade her and get her to safety.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05And when we came back,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08our property was probably one of the worst affected.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12And I felt even more violated when all our personal possessions
0:12:12 > 0:12:15were put out in the front for the local council to come and fetch.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19We've had to start again from scratch, it's been...
0:12:19 > 0:12:23But we're here, we've got our faith and we're pulling together
0:12:23 > 0:12:27and I know that, you know, God's here and he is watching over us
0:12:27 > 0:12:28and we're going to be all right.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32And the town's going to rebuild from this stronger, bigger and better.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And what about Christmas itself? What was that like?
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Christmas this year was about being together.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41It wasn't about lavish gifts, it was just about spending time together
0:12:41 > 0:12:44with loved ones and people who we've met along the way
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and that's what we've done and we've had a better Christmas by not
0:12:47 > 0:12:50spending lots of money and lavishing people, just being together,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52going to church, carol singing...
0:12:52 > 0:12:54It's been fantastic.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57As a result of all this now, people have come together as one
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and I've made more friends in the last four or five weeks
0:13:01 > 0:13:03than I have in the last 20 years.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06- So the flooding has provided a common bond?- Absolutely.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11So much so that, when I see these people now, they give you big hugs,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15yeah, and the warmth and the strength that helps you
0:13:15 > 0:13:19carry on to get through this is just remarkable.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25We'll be hearing more from Kendal later in the programme
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and I'll be helping to deliver some Meals on Wheels,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30but first here is our next hymn
0:13:30 > 0:13:34and it's one that really resonates with many of the people around here.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Well, here in the Lake District, there is still no shortage of rain.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Coming up, we've got a truly inspiring story about a young man
0:16:28 > 0:16:32who sang as he underwent ground-breaking brain surgery.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36But first, we're off to the Hackney Empire in London.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Can you imagine how anxious you'd be
0:18:34 > 0:18:37if you needed a life-saving brain operation and one of the possible
0:18:37 > 0:18:41side effects was losing the ability to speak and sing?
0:18:43 > 0:18:45That's the situation that physics student
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and keen singer Reuben Hill faced last year.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51And remarkably, to check his brain wasn't being damaged
0:18:51 > 0:18:55during his surgery, doctors woke him and asked him to sing something.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02# The sun comes up, it's a new day's dawn... #
0:19:02 > 0:19:05# The sun comes up... #
0:19:05 > 0:19:07He sang 10,000 Reasons,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11a favourite worship song written by my good friend Matt Redman.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Reuben is well on the road to recovery now.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20And I've come to St Margaret's Church in Twickenham to
0:19:20 > 0:19:22gate-crash his music rehearsal.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I had at least three conditions,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30one of which was a brain tumour...
0:19:32 > 0:19:33..and I was told,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37"Yeah, you're going to have to have surgery, we'll take it out."
0:19:38 > 0:19:41That was ground-breaking surgery they'd planned.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42Can you explain it a bit?
0:19:42 > 0:19:44It was awake surgery,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47so during the surgery I had to be constantly singing and speaking.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55'And I knew that if I was going to sing, it should be a prayer,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57'it should be a prayer because'
0:19:57 > 0:20:00if ever I needed a prayer, it was in that moment.
0:20:00 > 0:20:06And I wanted to just appeal to God, so I sang 10,000 Reasons.
0:20:06 > 0:20:12# The sun comes up, it's a new day's dawn... #
0:20:12 > 0:20:16'Reuben's tumour is near the part of the brain that controls speech.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:18BBC cameras followed Reuben's story.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22And his song choice gained worldwide exposure.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25The effect of that has been... It's been kind of extraordinary.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29It meant that what would otherwise have been just a news report
0:20:29 > 0:20:32about some science, really important science,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34turned into something so much more.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37It was like an act of witness that I just couldn't have predicted
0:20:37 > 0:20:40at all and I'm deeply humbled by.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45If I ever had any doubt about the kind of worldwide reach
0:20:45 > 0:20:49of Christian love, now I can dispel that for ever.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I got loads of Twitter followers all of a sudden
0:20:52 > 0:20:54and I had to send out a tweet saying,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58"Thank you for all these prayers, please don't just pray for me,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00"pray for all the people that don't have anyone to pray for them
0:21:00 > 0:21:03"or who are by themselves."
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It wasn't just Twitter followers who were touched
0:21:06 > 0:21:07by Reuben's act of witness.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Matt Redman is on tour at the moment,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12but he wanted me to hand-deliver a special invitation.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Have a look at this.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Hey, Reuben, Matt Redman here. Hope you're doing well.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26It was so amazing to see how you used this song recently,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29when you came through from your operation.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Amazing how these songs can show up in surprising places.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36This might be one of the most surprising so far!
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I'd love to meet you sometime
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and was hoping maybe you could come to one of the tour nights.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43We could get to say hi.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47You sound like an amazing person and you've been through quite a journey.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49So it would be great to meet you.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51God bless and hope to meet you soon.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Yeah, yeah...
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Oh, wow, that's amazing.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04And just before Christmas, Reuben travelled to Oxford to meet Matt.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I've had a bit taken out of me but actually, for me as a person,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14I've really grown and become filled.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19I have a sense of being aware that I have so many options
0:22:19 > 0:22:23in terms of what I can do in my life and I want to do
0:22:23 > 0:22:25whatever God thinks is best,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29because if I'm doing his will, then I'll be a very happy man.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35# The sun comes up
0:22:35 > 0:22:38# It's a new day dawning
0:22:40 > 0:22:44# It's time to sing your song again
0:22:45 > 0:22:52# Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
0:22:54 > 0:23:00# Let me be singing when the evening comes
0:23:02 > 0:23:05# Bless the Lord, oh, my soul
0:23:06 > 0:23:09# Oh, my soul
0:23:09 > 0:23:13# Worship his holy name
0:23:15 > 0:23:18# Sing like never before
0:23:19 > 0:23:22# Oh, my soul
0:23:22 > 0:23:26# I'll worship your holy name
0:23:29 > 0:23:35# And on that day when my strength is failing
0:23:35 > 0:23:40# The end draws near and my time has come
0:23:42 > 0:23:48# Still my soul will sing your praise unending
0:23:51 > 0:23:57# 10,000 years and then for evermore
0:23:57 > 0:23:59# For evermore
0:24:01 > 0:24:05# Bless the Lord, oh, my soul
0:24:05 > 0:24:08# Oh, my soul
0:24:08 > 0:24:12# Worship his holy name
0:24:14 > 0:24:17# Sing like never before
0:24:18 > 0:24:21# Oh, my soul
0:24:21 > 0:24:26# I'll worship your holy name
0:24:27 > 0:24:31# Bless the Lord, oh, my soul
0:24:31 > 0:24:35# Oh, my soul
0:24:35 > 0:24:39# Worship his holy name
0:24:40 > 0:24:44# Sing like never before
0:24:45 > 0:24:48# Oh, my soul
0:24:48 > 0:24:52# I'll worship your holy name
0:24:53 > 0:24:58# Yes, I'll worship your holy name
0:25:00 > 0:25:05# Lord, I'll worship your holy name. #
0:25:11 > 0:25:14In the aftermath of the severe winter floods,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17communities have rallied, as we heard earlier, and in Kendal,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21local churches and businesses have been working together
0:25:21 > 0:25:23to offer practical help.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Jane and David Robinson live outside the Sandylands Estate
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and they, too, have been volunteering their services for free.
0:25:31 > 0:25:37- So another delivery coming up.- Hi. - Hello. What's on the van today?
0:25:37 > 0:25:40We've got chilli and rice today, but also we've got soup
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and we thought we'd perhaps take some cleaning materials
0:25:43 > 0:25:46around for people, cos it's just convenient that we can drop them off
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- for them, really.- Yeah, great.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49And what got you into this?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Because you're not from the Sandylands area, are you?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53No, but we're fortunate, aren't we?
0:25:53 > 0:25:56We've been lucky, we haven't been affected by flooding
0:25:56 > 0:25:59and we felt we wanted to just try and help people who had.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03We came down to Sandylands, to the Methodist church,
0:26:03 > 0:26:04cos we realised there was a lot of action here,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07- a lot of people haven't got cooking facilities.- No?
0:26:07 > 0:26:10You know, they've been totally washed out, their whole lives have
0:26:10 > 0:26:14been sort of rushed out the door in the floods, it's been devastating.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16As you've been handing over the meals,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19you must have heard some fascinating stories.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I would say tragic stories, to be honest.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25People are just so pleased, apart from getting the food,
0:26:25 > 0:26:26which is just brilliant,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30they enjoy actually having somebody there to talk to and they realise
0:26:30 > 0:26:34that this community cares, actually, and that's a big factor.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- People are just devastated and overwhelmed by it all.- Yeah.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42You go to people and they say, "Oh, there are people worse off than me."
0:26:42 > 0:26:46- Yeah.- And when you think, "Don't think there are."- Yeah.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48So who's the next customer, then?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Well, we're going across the road to Mr Duxbury.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Is this the gentleman who's marooned on the top floor of his house?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56He is, yeah, he is having to live upstairs,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59so we'll take him some food and I thought you might like
0:26:59 > 0:27:01to take him a bottle of bleach which could be very useful.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- Oh, yeah, of course.- And, well, you can take him an assortment
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- and see what he would like.- Take the bucket and see what he wants, yeah.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13- Who's that?- Mr Craven.- Yes.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- He's brought you your dinner today. - Here's your lunch.- Oh, thank you.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18- Do you like chilli?- Yes.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- Oh, well, you're in for a treat, then.- Right, thank you.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23What difference has it made to you, Mr Duxbury,
0:27:23 > 0:27:29- getting these meals every day? - Oh, tremendous. A great help.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31So where were you when the flood happened?
0:27:31 > 0:27:36I was upstairs at the moment, at the time, when I looked out
0:27:36 > 0:27:38of the bedroom window
0:27:38 > 0:27:42and saw the water was level with the garden wall.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46- And you were trapped?- I was trapped, yes. I couldn't get out.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- In due course, the water went down. - And now you're upstairs...
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- I'm upstairs.- ..almost permanently? - Yes, yes.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- Thank you.- Would it be useful to have some bleach?
0:27:55 > 0:27:59- Yes, it would, I'm running short. - Well, that's an interesting mixture.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01You know you can always get it down at Sandylands Church,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03they always have stuff to help you.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06- Enjoy your lunch, then.- Thank you very much.- Nice to see you.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- All the very best.- Thank you. - See you again.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11- Take care.- Thank you. - Bye, Mr Duxbury. Bye.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00And that's just about it today from Kendal,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03a town recovering from its devastating flood
0:31:03 > 0:31:06and I'd like to thank everybody here who's made me feel
0:31:06 > 0:31:09so welcome in these very trying times.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14Now, next week, David Grant will be meeting people in a rehab centre
0:31:14 > 0:31:15who are turning to God
0:31:15 > 0:31:19as they try to free themselves from their addictions.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Until then, here's our final hymn today,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26and it's been chosen by some of the people that I've been meeting.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27Bye for now.