Hi my name is Lee and I and fundraising for my friend and colleague Andy Matthews and his loyal dog Loki. Please read and help where you can!

In the early hours of Tuesday morning (27th January 2026), Andy Matthews and his dog Loki woke up to find their home, Riverside Cottage in Newton Poppleford, filling with flood water after the nearby river Otter burst its banks during storm Chandra.

The water rose so quickly, flowing over the flood gate defences that the water levels rose to the height of the kitchen worktops with furniture, clothing and personal belongings floating from room to room, or fully submerged. After making efforts to wade through the house to look for a way out, Andy and Loki became trapped upstairs. Fortunately emergency services were already working in the area and recognised the threat to safety at Riverside cottage and waded into the garden to investigate.

Andy and Loki were rescued through the bedroom window and down a ladder by the emergency services. Inside, the water continued to flow, damage and destroy. If this was not enough to ‘dampen’ Andys spirits his livelihood in Property Maintenance, ‘Not just a Handyman’ has also taken a blow as the van, garages and sheds were also submerged with tools and materials ruined - meaning that it’s going to also have a dramatic impact to his working life and income earning potential. Andy and Loki are well known within the area and customers will be very familiar with Loki coming to work for the day too!

In just a few hours, Andy lost his home, all his belongings and most importantly, his sense of independence and safety.

‘Its so frustrating’ Andy said, ‘however what can you do about it? The water breached the defences and was coming through the windows. Not only am I having to sort out my property, however the vulnerable customers who depend on my services are left waiting for me to become operational again. Its going to be tricky to clean and repair my home and get back to supporting my customers with minimal tools and no income’

Now, he is facing devastating clean-up costs, major repairs, and the emotional toll of starting his life over again — all while caring for Loki, who depends entirely on him.

Please donate if you can — every single penny will help Andy and Loki.

If you can’t donate, sharing this post could make all the difference.

Let’s come together as a community and help Andy and Loki rebuild after this heart-breaking disaster.

Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and supporting.