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The quick-thinking of a member of staff has been credited with preventing a major flooding disaster at the headquarters of a mental health charity in Harrogate.

As the rain poured down on the May Bank Holiday weekend, Elaine Wright went back to her workplace to check on Wellspring’s building at 78 High Street in Starbeck.

To her horror, Elaine, accompanied by her husband Ian, discovered water had poured into the Garden Room and the downstairs basement area, causing extensive damage.

Full of praise for Elaine’s efforts, Nick Garrett, the interim chief executive of Wellspring, said: “Thanks to the foresight, heroics and commitment of Elaine, a major disaster has been averted.

Praise for food heroine - As the thunderstorm struck on the May Bank Holiday weekend, quick-thinking staff member Elaine Wright went back to her charity workplace in Harrogate to check on its safety. (Picture contributed)

“After finding it flooded, Elaine immediately rang me and Paul Tinsley, our Operations Manager.

"She then, together with her husband Ian and Paul, spent hours cleaning up all the flood damage.

"Had she not checked, it is likely the flood damage could have affected the whole building.

"That would have severely comprised all our counselling sessions with devastating results.

“As it is, we will be able to carry on as normal, although some training sessions which are normally held in the basement will have to be relocated.

"Thankfully a water pump helped to contain the damage but if it continues to rain heavily, we are vulnerable to further flooding.

“We are now busy drying out the whole affected area, assessing the damage, working out short-term prevention measures and sourcing new locations for bookings in the Garden Room and basement.

"We owe a huge debt of thanks to Elaine.”

Elaine said “As soon as I saw the rain, I said to my husband we need to get round to Wellspring double quick.

"The flood damage was awful, but we managed to stop it getting worse.

"I am so glad we can stay open.”

Although Wellspring's Garden Room and downstairs basement area will now be out of action for months, it is important to stress that Wellspring’s counselling sessions are unaffected.

The highly-respected charity provides affordable short and long-term private counselling for the Harrogate district, relieving the huge burden on the NHS.

Heroine Elaine averts flooding catastrophe at Harrogate charity's headquarters during storm