Exactly one year after Storm Desmond struck, one of the worst hit communities came together to celebrate the determined efforts to rebuild.

Crosby-on-Eden, to the east of Carlisle, was hit by extreme flooding in December, destroying the community centre and school and leaving many residents homeless.

Monday’s event, exactly 12 months since disaster struck, was set up by author Sue Fox.

People travelled from across Cumbria to join in the celebrations, including students from Crosby-on-Eden Primary School, which itself was closed for six months following the flooding.

The event included a photographic display of the effects of the floods, a bunting-making corner and a bring and buy sale.

Parts of the community centre were severely affected by the flood and had to be rebuilt. This was partly funded by organisations such as Cumbria Community Foundation (£12,000), the Rotary club (£6,000), and the Women’s Institute. Support also came from parish, city and county councils.

Lesley Connelly, chairwoman of the village hall committee, said: “All of the people we have had to work with to put it back together have been superb.

“If you walk around the hall today and see the quality of the workmanship it’s lovely.

“The building is basically what it was, but we now know that the structure of the building is in a healthier state. It’s 90 years old this building, so maybe we’ve given it another 90 years.”

Leslie recalled the flooding: “It was like a raging torrent and it couldn’t get away. It was going backwards and forwards inside the hall, like a mad tide.

“I was just sat in the car park thinking ‘I don’t know what to do’.”

She added: “Having been involved in the floods 10 years ago and being told it wouldn’t happen again, it’s this sick feeling that if it’s going to happen in 10 years we are never going to be safe.”

Event coordinator Sue also used the event to launch her second flood themed book, Joe and Storm Desmond .

This and her first book, Katie and the Floods , were designed to help children and young people get over the negative emotions that they felt during December’s floods.

The book’s illustrator, Irene Sanderson, said: “So many children had to wait and watch as their parents tried to rescue possessions or make repairs.

“Afterwards a lot of the children were traumatised and nervous if they started watching the weather: they wanted to phone home when they were at school.

“The fears of the children were not addressed and they had a lot of questions asking ‘where’s mummy and daddy? Are we safe? Is it going to rain again?’.”

Sue added: “I wrote the books to enable children to start talking about the flood. Parents and children were bottling it up.

”I found messages from parents saying the books have helped the child talk about the flood – they are taking it to bed as a comfort.”

With the help of numerous sponsors, 4,500 copies of Katie and the Floods were printed and given to schools all around Cumbria affected by flooding.

Sue was flooded again herself – for the fourth time in 10 years.

“This time it was fiercer and higher than before,” she admitted.