THOUSANDS of pounds have been raised in the days after Storm Eunice caused ‘six figures’ worth of damage to a rugby club.

The community has rallied together in the aftermath of Storm Eunice on Friday which caused damage to Barrow Raiders’ marquee, perimeter wall, grandstand, and advertising hoardings.

The club marque was strewn over Hindpool Road retail park on Friday afternoon - blocking access and requiring a police and fire response.

The club’s spokesman said no-one had been hurt but there had been ‘near misses’ within the team.

Club chairman Steve Neale said the team would be ‘forever grateful’ to the volunteers who helped in the aftermath of the damage.

He said: “We will be forever grateful for the volunteer help we received in the clearing of the debris in the aftermath of all the damage and that extends to all those who have contributed to the GoFundMe page that will be a massive help to get us back on our feet.”

It is estimated that the damage to the club could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, with the clean-up operation continuing this week.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help with the costs of the repairs – and has already raised £2,750 for the club.

The fundraising page states: “The club invested in a marquee last year which was a tremendous help towards the club costs and this revenue was included when setting the budget for this season.

“Then along comes Storm Eunice and all of a sudden we now have no marquee and no perimeter wall.

“A working party of volunteers salvaged as much as we could while dodging flying debris.

“Once Eunice had subsided the clean-up began.

“The club were amazed at the number of supporters who turned up in the rain and snow to help with this.

“Support from local businesses, free skips diggers, tea coffee and bacon buns.

“A few hours hard work and the site was made safe. Now is the time to rebuild a more permanent structure. The Supporters Trust want to help with this as much as we can, so we are asking for your help.

“We have parties booked for many in the town: Paddy Fest, Tribute Fest, Cider Fest all of which would be bringing in much needed revenue. Every donation you make, no matter how big or small, will be gratefully received.

“It will be a six figure sum to get back to where we were, however, every penny will go towards getting us back up and running and look to a more permanent solution for the future.”

To make a donation, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/vkjbn-help-barrow-raiders-after-storm-eunice