‘Every contribution can make a real difference’: Warwick students raise over £4,000 for Spanish flood relief

In a heartening response to one of the most devastating floods in recent history, Warwick Spanish Society has raised over £4,000 in just four days to aid those struggling in Valencia.

The funds are being donated to ‘olVIDAdos,’ a Spanish charity that provides essentials such as drinking water, clothes, and shelter to those in need.

More than 200 people were killed last week, mostly in the Valencia area, in what the BBC described as ‘one of the worst floods in Europe this century’. Over 2,200 people are still reported missing, with numbers expected to rise ‘drastically’ in the coming days.

Rodrigo Gervas-Gonzalez, Treasurer of Warwick Spanish Society and leader of the fundraiser, said that launching a GoFundMe was inspired by seeing “devastating images” and “hearing stories from our friends and family in Valencia.”

“The DANA storm has caused widespread flooding, and for many of us, it hit close to home — whether through direct connections or simply knowing how important this region is to Spain. As a society, we felt a responsibility to act and help out in any way we could,” he said.

“Being at university is sort of like living in a bubble in which we don’t see the total scale of impact the storms have caused, so setting up a fundraiser seemed like the perfect way to give visibility to the subject while retaining the ability to help as much as we can.”

Vehicles have been piling up along the road in the aftermath of the floods (Image: Rodrigo Gervas)

The floods, which are continually ongoing in some regions, have personally affected several Warwick students. Sebastian Hacking-Burguera, a Politics and International Studies (PAIS) student, has family living in Valencia. He is one of many Spanish people who are “furious” about the response from both the regional and national governments.

“My parents received warnings on their mobile phones around 8pm – much too late. By that time the flooding was well underway during rush hour – leaving hundreds of people trapped.”

Sebastian Hacking-Burguera, Politics and International Studies student

“There is much anger that the meteorologist agencies knew very bad weather was coming, but the regional government failed to issue strong enough warnings at correct timings. My parents received warnings on their mobile phones around 8pm – much too late. By that time the flooding was well underway during rush hour – leaving hundreds of people trapped,” he told The Boar.

Many personal stories from Warwick’s Spanish community highlight the impact of the floods. Sebastian shared one such story with The Boar: “A cousin of mine was driving back from work and had to climb out of the window because his car was flooding. He spent the night on top of a lorry nearby until he was rescued by the Military Emergencies Unit. As you can imagine, this past week has been quite emotional and upsetting.”

Sebastian is one of thousands of people in the Valencia region who are ‘outraged’ by poor response times from the local government (Image: Rodrigo Gervas)

Maria Bonastre-Roca, a fellow PAIS student, is from Valencia herself, and says the situation “hits particularly close to home.” Speaking of “heart-wrenching stories from acquaintances who have lost everything,” she told The Boar: “We’re talking about so many people, even a week after the tragedy, who still haven’t heard from their relatives.

“It’s easy to see such disasters on the news and, in a way, distance ourselves from them, thinking it could never happen to us. But when it does, you’re suddenly hit with the reality of how quickly everything can fall apart.”

The fundraiser has a £10,000 target and has received over 130 donations so far. Warwick Spanish Society says 100% of all donations will go to families struggling to recover from the floods.

“The funds we raise will directly support the people and communities hit hardest by the floods […] These donations are a lifeline.”

Rodrigo Gervas-Gonzalez, Treasurer of Warwick Spanish Society

Having donated £2,000 on behalf of the society, Rodrigo said: “We want everyone to know that every single contribution, no matter the size, can make a real difference.

“The funds we raise will directly support the people and communities hit hardest by the floods — whether it’s providing essential supplies like food and personal hygiene items, rebuilding homes that have been destroyed, repairing critical infrastructure, or offering immediate relief to families who have lost everything.

“These donations are a lifeline.”

As the community rallies together, individual stories of loss and resilience emerge, shedding light on the full impact of the disaster. Speaking of her “overwhelming guilt and helplessness” in wanting to do more for those who are struggling, Maria told The Boar:

“I’m proud to say I come from a city where the community will do anything to help those in need. Part of the Valencian anthem speaks to this spirit: ‘Tots a una veu, germans, vingau,’ meaning, ‘All together, as brothers, we come united in one voice.’

“But it’s not just the people of Valencia that are playing their part. From Vigo to Sevilla, from Madrid to Barcelona, cities all over Spain are united in this effort, each person doing their bit. Every contribution, no matter how small, is welcome and necessary.”

More information is available on Warwick Spanish Society’s GoFundMe page here.