A quick e-mail message sent thousands of miles across the Atlantic has boosted the appeal to help the flood victims of Ryedale - by megabucks.

Stephen Garside, president of Malton and District Lions, right, receives the $10,000 cheque from Bill Walker, Vice District Governor of Lions Clubs

It took only 48 hours for the American-based Lions Club International Fund to come to the rescue of communities whose homes and businesses were wrecked when the River Derwent burst its banks.

A cheque for $10,000 (£6,500) has been presented to Malton, Norton & District Lions Club president Stephen Garside. Now, less than five days after the launch of four funds under the umbrella of Ryedale Flood Response, about £10,000 in donations has been received.

Local Lions club spokesman Derek Low said the $10,000 in emergency funding - which he stressed was quite separate from their Ryedale Flood Response Fund - was approved by staff at the international fund's headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois.

"There are people sitting over there in Oak Brook who deal with this sort of thing on a regular basis. To them, it's sort of a weekly event.

"But it only happens to us about once in a hundred years - we hope."

Mr Low said Lions clubs around the world donated money to the international fund every year. "So, if there's a tornado in Honduras or a flood in China, the local club can apply for funds."

Paul Hayward, Ryedale's head of economic and leisure services, said the flood appeal was going well. "There have been some good donations, and we've also had quite a few offers of people wanting to hold events to raise money," he said.

"Norton Town Council have put in £1,000 and Malton Town Council is going to consider making a donation as well."

No appeal has been set up to cover Stamford Bridge, further downstream on the River Derwent, where about 15 properties were flooded.

Tom Du Boulay, spokesman for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "Flooding in Stamford Bridge did affect some commercial properties, which were insured, but damage to domestic properties was not on the same scale as in Malton and Norton."

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said no fund had been set up for villagers in Elvington, where two houses were affected by flooding.

Members of the public who wish to support Malton, Norton & District Lions Flood Response should make cheques payable to Malton Lions and deliver them to Ryedale House, Malton, YO17 0HH. The other Ryedale funds are:

Churches Together Flood Response - money or cheques can be handed to any minister of any denomination in Ryedale

Malton & Norton Rotary Club Flood Response - via National Westminster Bank, Malton, or to Brian Pape, White Owls, West Knapton, Malton, YO17 6RL, or

Soroptimist International, Malton & District Flood Response - c/o Ryedale District Council, Ryedale House, Malton, YO17 0HH.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.