Tesco to the resuce for residents evacuated from Portsmouth tower block

People in Sarah Robinson House, Portsea, had to leave their homes immediately earlier this month when a gas leak was reported.

Some residents from the 120 homes were able to stay with friends and family, while others were moved to an emergency rest centre at the nearby John Pounds Centre.

Members of the British Red Cross attended the scene to provide emotional support and ensure the residents were well cared for.

Portsmouth City Council and the British Red Cross also submitted an incident support request to Tesco, who reacted quickly to provide more than £600 worth of items for the residents, including food, hygiene items and towels.

Amanda Carcary, British Red Cross’s senior emergency response officer for Hampshire, explained: “Residents who had to leave their homes could only take the clothes they were wearing.

"They weren’t allowed to re-renter their homes, and the severity of the gas leak was so bad that even gas workers couldn’t enter to begin with.

“We’re so grateful to Tesco. Their stores are always so quick to support us when asked.

"It was essential to make the residents comfortable and calm, so the items from Tesco were crucial.

"Due to the extreme weather conditions – an Amber Heat Health Alert was in place – it was very hot in the rest centre, so the towels were absolutely vital for residents wanting to wash and cool down.”

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Tesco and the British Red Cross have been working together since 1997 to support communities in times of crisis.

During this time, Tesco has donated more than £25million to provide vital support for emergencies in the UK and abroad through in-store collections, colleague fundraising, appeals and donations.

Gemma Morrison, community champion at Tesco’s Fratton Park store, said: “Everything happened very quickly.

"We received an email requesting a list of items and we set about getting the items from our shelves.

“I’d never done anything like this before, but we were glad to be in a position to help those in need.

"The list was quite extensive and it took two hours to get everything together, but when faced with the challenge we were able to respond.

"We always want to support our community when we can, especially in their hour of need.”

Throughout the ordeal the British Red Cross worked with Portsmouth City Council to support residents.

Some residents were due to return to their homes over the weekend.