A student in Cornwall has been supporting the clean-up operation in Valencia after it suffered devastating flooding last month. 

Brandon Fuentes, originally from Mexico and living in England for the past three years -currently in Redruth - has returned from Spain where has been helping those in need. 

Brandon is on the electrical installation programme at Cornwall College Camborne and after hearing of the devastation he felt compelled to help.

Motivated by a personal connection through his friend’s father-in-law, whose relatives were directly impacted by the floods, Brandon quickly coordinated with friends from France and Switzerland to lend their support.

Brandon Fuentes is a student at Cornwall College Camborne (Image: Cornwall College) “The devastation was immense, streets were covered in thick mud, homes were flooded to the second storey and families had lost nearly all of their belongings,” explained Brandon.

“When I do things like this, I don’t think about being kind, I just do it because I want to.”

Upon arriving in Valencia, Brandon and his team immediately began cleaning houses, clearing mud, salvaging belongings and working to restore a sense of normalcy for affected families.

Residents look at cars piled up after being swept away by floods in Valencia  (Image: Alberto Saiz/AP) Residents had to walk miles to reach their houses, and many had lost everything. Despite this, the resilience of the community stood out.

More than 100 volunteers from around the world came to help, and many homeowners, despite having no electricity, showed incredible gratitude by cooking meals for the volunteers using battery-powered stoves.

“Their resilience was inspiring. Even though they’d lost so much, they were still trying to give back to those helping them,” Brandon said.

A house covered in mud in an area affected by floods in Valencia  (Image: Manu Fernandez/AP/PA) After a weekend of intense work in Valencia, Brandon returned to the UK, caught a train and attended his class the same day.

“I was exhausted, but I knew I had to show up. My education is important and I didn’t want to fall behind,” he said.

Commenting on Brandon’s remarkable efforts, Luke Bazeley, head of Cornwall College Camborne, said: “We’re incredibly proud of Brandon’s selflessness and the example he sets for others.

"His actions reflect the values we strive to instil in all our students, making a positive impact on the world while staying committed to personal and professional growth.”