Hi, my name is Bruce Hallett, and I am fundraising for my sister, Pam Bellingham. The home that she has lived in for 46 years was severely damaged in the Lismore floods in February/March, leaving her homeless for the foreseeable future.

On the 28th of February at 2 pm, Pam reluctantly left her home in Woodburn as the floodwaters rose rapidly. By nightfall, the water was chest-deep in the house. At its peak, the water was above ceiling height. Antique furniture was swept from one end of the house to the other, photos, albums and memorabilia destroyed, paintwork ravaged, and windows smashed. Her car was swamped and written off. Pam lost a lifetime of memories and a house that is heritage listed and over 100 years old; a home she had spent years restoring as a piece of local history.

On Friday 1st of April, following torrential rain, Woodburn flooded once again. Much of what she had salvaged the first time was again underwater with accompanying mud and sludge. It was unbelievable and heartbreaking.

At 81, Pam has given much to her community over the years. She has operated a local ballet school for almost five decades, teaching many generations the joy of dance and donating all profits to charity. Pam has been on the school Parents &Citizens Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Hall Committee. She organises ANZAC Day marches and town festivals, devoting her time tirelessly to her community. In 2018 she was honoured for her noteworthy contribution to her local community as a recipient of the Richmond Valley Council Australia Day Citizen of the Year. Most who know Pam would never think that she is 81. She is active, generous, and dedicated, and whilst this will knock her down, she is fiercely determined and resilient - she is already expressing a desire to move back in with a mattress and stove!

Whilst Pam is safe, everything she owned was submerged in contaminated floodwaters. She was not covered for flood insurance - at $29,000 a year it was simply unaffordable, especially on a pension. This fundraiser is to help her start again. She will need a new kitchen, new bathroom ceiling, major building works to the back of the house, new paint, a new fridge, a washing machine, new beds, bedding, bedlinen, new shoes, new kitchen appliances, new lounges, new curtains, and other basic furniture.

Please help Pam restore her beautiful heritage-listed home to its former glory and get her life back amongst the community that she loves and does so much for.