‘THE worst it has been in ten years’ is how Newton Abbot’s indoor skatepark, The Lodge, described the flooding to its premises in the wake of Storm Bert.

The team at the town’s beloved indoor space have launched a JustGiving page to raise money to cover the cost of the damage brought by the weekend’s storm.

The team said the flooding had ‘severely impacted’ its popular skatepark, and that the costs incurred to right the damage has put a ‘tremendous strain’ on the volunteer-run space.

Though the true extent of the damage is not yet known as The Lodge’s Rob Taylor explains.

‘As it stands at the moment, we are not quite sure of the extent of the damage to the skatepark itself’ Rob said.

‘We have ripped up a few of the boards to have a look underneath and initially, in certain areas, it is not looking too good, but we have not hit the panic button just yet.

‘The next couple of days will be the tell, but either way its not great and this particular time has been one of the worst’ Rob said.

In certain parts of the skatepark, the flood water reached around a foot up the wall, with the adjacent kitchen and lounge area being completely submerged.

The charity urgently need to purchase pumps to remove the flood water, as well as dehumidifiers, heaters, and cleaning supplies, and this is not to mention the costs of re-decorating and replacing anything too damaged to save.

The Lodge said on its Facebook page: ‘While we've danced through floods in the past, thanks to our superhero volunteers, this time we’re facing the fiercest deluge since our charity kicked off a decade ago’

‘With a little community spirit and some trusty wellies, we can bounce back and get the skatepark rolling again in no time.’

With an initial target of £1,000, the JustGiving page has already raised close to £1,800.

‘Within a short space of time we have had a great response, it is very humbling to know people will do it and have done it, whether it is money or the time people have given us’ Rob said.

Volunteers have been working hard to clear-up The Lodge since the weekend’s storm.

‘Our skatepark is a vital indoor space for the local community, providing opportunities for skateboarding, scootering, roller skating, and BMXing for all ages’ the Lodge said on its JustGiving page.

‘We are more than just a skatepark, we’re a meeting place, a hang out space, we provide coaching, support and inspiration to all ages.

‘We have dealt with minor flooding before but this is the worst it has been in ten years.

‘Please help us to get back up and running again and serving the local community quickly’ the Lodge went on to say.