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Forming a Community Group
Introduction
Establishing an action group in a local community to work on behalf of residents and businesses has proved very effective in many areas of the UK. It has been a successful way of finding solutions to flooding problems and coping with flood related issues through self-help, mutual support and direct liaison with the various official agencies responsible for flood management.
Local action groups act as a voice for their community with the Environment Agency, local councils, water companies and emergency planning agencies. If you live in an area that suffers from flooding or is at risk from future floods starting up a group to represent the views of residents and businesses in a structured way, helps to ensure that the responsible bodies take notice of local views and concerns.
Forming an action group
Firstly you need to rally support for a local group. If you have suffered from flooding this can be simpler than you may at first think, as feelings are likely to be running high and there will be a lot of people around demanding ‘action’.
The skill is then to establish a group working towards broadly the same aims – although there will be variations of interest in the group depending on what individual concerns are.
The group needs to state that it is representing the opinions and needs of the community as a whole.
Holding a public meeting
Probably the easiest way to establish a group and rally support is to hold a public meeting in your area.
The National Flood Forum can help you to arrange this meeting if required. If you have recently suffered from flooding local people will be keen to air their views and will want to attend. But you must let them know when and where it’s happening. This may sound obvious, but bear in mind that if flooding has been severe many residents and businesses may have had to move out of the area into rented accommodation whilst repairs are carried out.
Publicise your meeting widely and use the media (newspapers, local radio stations etc.) to help you. Also use posters which can be widely distributed in the area and inform your local council what you are planning to do – it may want to send a representative.
Section One
Getting Started
Hire a good sized venue (if you explain to a local church or council what you are doing – especially if they are in or close to area affected – they may let you have a church/community hall free or at a reduced cost).
This first meeting could be very ‘lively’ – you will need a determined person to chair it to ensure that everyone gets to opportunity to air their views and noone is allowed to dominate the floor for too long. Invite representatives of the Environment Agency and your local council.
At this first meeting you can ask for volunteers who would like to become involved in your action group and either set up a committee on the night or set a date for your first meeting and establish positions in the group (chairman, secretary, treasurer etc.) at this first committee meeting event.
Get people involved at this stage – don’t delay for a next meeting – it might never happen! You can also ask people to sign in on the night at the public meeting, leaving name, address and telephone details, so that you can contact them again afterwards to update them on the groups progress or rally their support for your activities.
Who is going to do what?
Your group will need:
- A chairman – to lead meetings etc
- A secretary – to take minutes at meetings, write letters etc
- A treasurer – to keep accounts for any funds your group might hold
- Other members who are prepared to work towards the aims of the group - someone prepared to deal with the media, liase with your local council etc. Sharing the workload makes it less of an onerous task – remember you are all volunteers!
You’ll also need a name for the group – preferably not too long and illustrating what you are trying to do and where, such as WAAF – Worcester Action Against Flooding. You could also create a logo for your group – again something simple, but eye-catching – WAAF uses a cathedral (as it is a major well-known feature of the town) sinking under water.
The frequency of meetings is a matter of group choice, but they need to be fairly regular, at least to begin with, to make sure appropriate steps are being taken and that everyone is kept updated.
Keep minutes of all meetings and find ways of keeping the whole community you represent informed of you activities – use the media or something like a parish magazine or community newsletter. Once you are established you may consider producing your own newsletter.
It is also advisable to set up a Constitution for the group. This shows the outside world that the group has a mandate and elected members to represent the views of the community and is run in an organised and legal manner.
The National Flood Forum has produced a model Constitution that can be adapted to meet your groups needs (available from the NFF office)
Aims & Objectives
At your initial public meeting the group will have been given a good insight into what the local community would like to see happen to tackle flooding in your area. At your first meeting you need to form these ideas into aims and objectives that you agree to work towards and talk about how to tackle them as a group.
In order to find some solutions to the problem of flooding in your area you need to establish good working relationships with the authorities in your area, which have the responsibility to deal with these issues. Probably the easiest way to do this is to invite representatives from the Environment Agency, local councils, emergency planners etc. to your meetings to show them that a group has been formed and ‘means business’.
As your group develops you could also consider setting up your own ‘Contact Sheet’ for your own use and for distribution in the community.
It’s also a good idea to get to know how flood defence funding works and one way to do this is to attend Flood Defence Committee meetings in your area. The Environment Agency will be able to advise you when and where the meetings take place for your area. They are open to the public but, in most areas, visitors are not allowed to contribute to the debate except with the permission of the Chairman. They do give a good insight into the process that decides on funding for flood defence works.
Who's who
The authorities responsible for managing flooding and flood-related issues are numerous. It can be confusing and difficult working out which body deals with your area, your type of flooding (river, coastal, sewage, overland flow, etc.) and what the responsibilities of each organisation are.
Starting at the ‘top’ here is a brief outline or ‘who’s who’:
In England Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is responsible for policy on flood and coastal erosion. Defra doesn’t build or maintain flood defences, but provides grant aid to the ‘operating authorities’ - the Environment Agency, the Local Authorities and the Internal Drainage Boards - to carry that work out. The operating authorities have ‘permissive powers’ to carry out flood defence work, but it’s important to realise that they’re not actually obliged by law to protect you from flooding.
In Wales the Welsh Assembly Government, and in Scotland the Scottish Executive decides policy and provides the grant aid.
- The Environment Agency: "We are the leading public body for protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales. It's our job to make sure that air, land and water are looked after by everyone in today's society, so that tomorrow's generations inherit a cleaner, healthier world." Sir John Harman
- THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY: operates in England and Wales, dealing with main rivers, some tidal flooding and supervising generally all flood defence matters. The Agency provides flood warnings through the Floodline service (tel:0845 988 1188) and in many areas you can also register to receive direct telephone warnings through an automated system
The Agency is divided into eight regions, each with a regional office and a Regional Flood Defence Manager. Below the regions there are twenty-six area offices which are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Agency and are your most likely point of contact.
Section Two
Key Contacts
If you’re affected by main river flooding, getting to know your local Area Flood Defence Manager and the Flood Warning Team Leader is a good start to finding your way around the organisation and trying to achieve the aims of your group. You may also want to talk to the Development Control section if you’re concerned about proposed building in the floodplain, or the Environmental Control section if you’re worried about pollution.
Your local Environment Agency office will be listed in the telephone book. For more information about the Agency as a whole and flooding in particular, visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk
- Internal Drainage Boards (IDB's): exist in areas of special drainage need, such as Somerset and East Anglia, and deal with flooding from 'ordinary watercourses' (that is, the more minor streams and rivers) in their area
- Water Companies: are responsible for flooding from foul sewers and for flooding from surface water sewers (where they have been adopted). Some companies only provide a water supply, so look on your water bill to establish who to contact about sewerage services. Again, these are big organisations, so try to find a named person to deal with within the networks sewerage department. WaterVoice, the consumer body representing water and sewerage customers, will prove a useful ally in your dealings with the Water Company. There is a regional office of WaterVoice allocated to the customers of each Water Company
- Local Authorities: are responsible for the remaining ordinary watercourses that are not included within an IDB district
If you establish that your local council or IDB is responsible for a minor watercourse that is causing flooding, it’s worthwhile trying to get a local councillor involved in your campaign. Councillors sit on the committees responsible for the maintenance and care of the watercourse and can be influential in decisions made.
[From April 2004 those watercourses most prone to flooding (‘critical ordinary watercourses’ or ‘COWS’) have been reclassified as main rivers and are gradually being transferred to the control of the Environment Agency.]
- The Highways Authority (usually the County or Unitary Authority) is responsible for keeping the roads free from flooding and makingprovision for the run-off of water from the roads
- Riparian Owners, those who own land adjacent to watercourses, have a duty to maintain the watercourse
Key Community Contacts
Visit www.direct.gov.uk for details on how to get in touch with useful community contacts or more detailed information.