In reaction to the UK being hit by some of the worst wintery weather conditions in recent memory, the Met Office issued a red warning, its most severe. The storm, which picked up at the beginning of March 2018 was large enough to cause some deaths too, characterised by drifting snow, blizzards, strong winds and bitterly cold temperatures.

During all the pandemonium, which included the closing of thousands of schools and the halting of hospital operations, the Beast from the East saw some businesses carrying out good deeds to come to the aid of those who were most vulnerable due to the bitterly cold snap. Here, stairlift manufacturer Acorn Stairlifts looks back on some of the most heart-warming moments witnessed in the wake of the storm:

The army and RAF helped Lincolnshire communities

Police attending to the rural communities which had been cut off due to the cold snap had their resources stretched to the max, so they sought help from the army and RAF personnel. 10 military vehicles from RAF Waddington were made available to assist vulnerable individuals who relied on adult social care. What this assistance meant was that resources by the police could be freed-up so that they could maintain their focus on dealing with major incidents.

Army helps transport NHS staff in Edinburgh

Throughout Edinburgh, the army deployed 4×4 vehicles made available by the Ministry of Defence, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to help get 200 NHS staff members to work. Due to the impact the storms were having on their staff’s ability to get to and from work, the NHS was facing a potentially critical situation. The army stepped in to help facilitate shift changes at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh as well as the Western General Hospital.

Lookers Ford helps emergency services staff around North-East England

Assistance for those who are working in the emergency services didn’t just come from the army though, as Beast from the East took hold. In the north east of England, staff from car dealership and commercial Ford group Lookers Ford Sunderland ferried both NHS and emergency employees to and from work using capable vehicles from their business, demonstrating their kind-hearted nature.

Staff at the dealership even took time out of their own schedules to help.

Cancer surgeon performs operation after near three-hour walk

There was also the extraordinary case of a cancer surgeon who walked from Anniesland to Paisley near Glasgow, Scotland, which is a near eight-mile trek during the torrential weather, so as to operate on a cancer patient at the hospital where she worked. The surgeon remained unnamed in the published Glasgow Live article covering the heroic effort.

These make for just a few heart-warming stories that played out when the UK was hit by the mighty Beast from the East, showing how firms and people across the nation are willing to go above and beyond to provide much-needed and appreciated assistance to those who need it most, on account of deteriorating weather conditions.