By Simon Crowther BEng (Hons) FCIWEM C.WEM MIET
The first year of a new Flood Action Group is the most important. It’s where momentum forms, relationships are built, and technical understanding becomes real.
From our research and work with communities across the country, here’s what the most successful groups achieved in their first 12 months. Everything below comes from real Flood Groups, not theory, informed by our Cranfield University partnered national study which identified 120 groups and interviewed 10 Flood Groups (21 participants) across England.
Month 1–3: Understand Your Local Flood Risk Properly
Map Flow Paths and Sources of Flooding
You need to know:
- ● Where water is coming from
- ● How it travels through the area
- ● Where it escapes or pools
- ● Where blockages occur
- ● Where capacity is exceeded
Use site walks, rainfall days, old photos, local memory, LiDAR, and EA mapping. Local knowledge can support desktop modelling.
Identify Your Weak Points
Common weak points include:
- ● Narrow or poorly designed culverts
- ● Debris‑prone trash screens
- ● Undermaintained ditches or drains
- ● Insufficient gully clearance
- ● Critical pinch‑points on roads
- ● Watercourses modified without considering downstream impacts
Document them with photos and simple mapping. Evidence is your leverage.
Build Relationships and Internal Structure
Build Early Relationships with Agencies
Introduce your group to:
- ● EA Operations
- ● LLFA drainage team
- ● District planning officers
- ● Highways
- ● Water companies
- ● Parish and town councils
Bring evidence, not emotion. Clear, calm, structured groups get better outcomes.
Form Subgroups to Prevent Burnout
Large mixed groups are ineffective without structure.
Set up small teams such as:
- ● Technical subgroup
- ● Community engagement
- ● Funding & grants
- ● Emergency response
- ● Communications
- ● Landowner liaison
This makes the workload manageable and builds long-term sustainability.
Month 7–9: Prepare the Community
Run a Practice Flood Exercise
This is one of the most effective things a group can do, and almost no groups do it.
A good exercise tests:
- ● Communications (often the part that fails)
- ● Flood Barrier deployment
- ● Water Pump logistics
- ● Evacuation routes
- ● Flood plan triggers
- ● Vulnerable resident support
- ● Availability of volunteers
It will expose weaknesses early and build confidence.
Engage the Community and Recruit Volunteers
Flood Groups fail without people.
Best recruitment methods:
- ● Street‑by‑street conversations
- ● Parish newsletters
- ● Facebook groups
- ● Local events
- ● Practical workshops
- ● “Come and try” barrier demonstrations
Younger volunteers rarely join for meetings, but will join practical activities.
Month 10–12: Secure Early Wins and Funding
Use Evidence to Apply for Small Grants
Small wins build trust and momentum.
Apply for funding for:
- ● Equipment (puddle pumps, radios, barriers)
- ● Training
- ● Survey work
- ● Drainage studies
- ● Habitat improvements
- ● Resilience measures
- ● Website or communications tools
Even small grants (£1,000–£5,000) make a big difference early on.
Deliver One Visible Intervention
Aim to complete one tangible improvement in Year 1, such as:
- ● Clearing a problem ditch
- ● Installing a trash screen
- ● Fixing a repeatedly blocked gully
- ● Running the first practice event
- ● Updating the flood plan
- ● Securing equipment
- ● Publishing your first evidence report
Momentum is everything.
The first year of a Flood Action Group sets the tone for the next decade. Get the foundations right (evidence, structure, partnerships and readiness) and the group becomes a long-term asset to the community.
Do those things poorly, and the group fades before it ever makes an impact.