The Salvation Army was among a number of organisations praised for their emergency responses to this summer's severe flooding by the Minister for the Third Sector Phil Hope.

On a visit to south Northamptonshire at the end of last week, Hope said, ""There has been some tremendous cooperation within communities to support the victims of this summer's flooding.

"In Helmdon, charities like the Red Cross, Salvation Army and WRVS pulled together to have a reception centre for potential evacuees up and running as soon as the emergency plan was activated, and kept it staffed night and day."

Hope paid tribute to the work of charities in crisis, acknowledging that their contribution can often be overlooked.

"So often charities and volunteers can be the unsung heroes, but in situations of crisis they are often among the first to help; providing food, shelter and compassion for those affected," he said.

"They deserve our thanks, and our support to ensure they continue to play a vital role in emergency response and recovery, alongside statutory agencies such as the police, fire service and local authorities.

During his visit to south Northamptonshire, Hope met local Council Leader Sandra Barnes and Chief Executive Jean Morgan to assess the council's response to the summer flood crisis which left five villages in the district submerged and the town of Towchester threatened by high waters.

He also paid a visit to two of the worst affected villages in the area, King Sutton and Helmdon.

The Salvation Army, together with volunteers from the Red Cross, the Women's Royal Voluntary Service and the village manned a reception centre at the community-owned 'Reading Rooms' in Helmdon to support locals in the event of an evacuation.

Salvation Army volunteer Captain Pauline Milner, who helped staff the Helmdon centre, said: "We were ready to handle a large number of people if they needed to evacuate quickly. That's an important part of rescue work - being prepared to hit the ground running when the crisis hits."

He reflected: "What really impressed me was how professional it all was, and the cooperation which took place. We volunteers were from different backgrounds and places, but we just pulled together and got on with it. For me, that meant keeping everyone - the fire service stationed here and other volunteers - supplied with refreshments."

Hope encouraged third sector organisations to get involved with the ongoing independent review of the floods, being led by Sir Michael Pitt.

He urged, "It is important that we, the Government, listen to the experiences of the volunteers and charities who helped this summer, alongside the individuals affected and other stakeholders, so we can learn for the future."