This blog has been written by a member of the Newground Flood Team.
The Newground Flood Team have worked closely with many communities across the North West to form Flood Action Groups (FLAGs), tailoring their aims to meet the specific needs of each area. This blog explains what a Flood Action Group is, what they do and how they can build community resilience to flooding.
A Flood Action Group (FLAG) is a voluntary group of local residents who work together with agencies and authorities to help their community prepare for and respond to flooding.
These groups provide a unified voice for the community, raising concerns, sharing ideas and tackling local flooding issues. Each group decides its own roles, responsibilities and meeting frequency, meaning they can adapt to the unique challenges of their community.
Flood Action Groups can play many important roles. Some examples include:
Raising Awareness of Flood Risk
1 in 6 properties in England are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, or surface water, yet many residents are unaware of the risks they face. By spreading awareness, FLAGs can help people prepare in advance, reducing the damage and disruption a flood can cause.
A Flood Action Group (also known as a FlAG), is a voluntary group of local residents who work alongside agencies and authorities on behalf of the wider community to better manage the impact of future flood events. The focus of the group can be based around emergency planning and can also tackle local issues, whilst providing a unified voice for the community to communicate ideas and queries to others. It is within the remit of each individual group to decide on how often they meet and the groups own roles, responsibilities, aims and objectives.
Monitoring Local Conditions
Community volunteers can keep an eye out for issues that increase flood risk, such as:
By spotting and reporting these problems early, Flood Action Groups can help reduce the risk of flooding in their area.
For more information download our “Helping to Reduce Flood Risk’ resource here.
Developing a Community Flood Plan
A community flood plan helps coordinate a structured response before, during, and after a flood. Flood Action Groups often lead on writing these plans, ensuring that residents know what to do, who to contact, and how to stay safe.
Click here to download a copy of our ‘Community Flood Plan Guidance Notes’ for lots of useful information on community flood plans, as well as a template for you to fill in.
Supporting Vulnerable Residents
Flood Action Groups can help identify those in the community who may need extra support during a flood, such as the elderly, disabled or those living alone. Checking in on vulnerable neighbours can make a big difference in reducing the impact of flooding.
Taking Action During a Flood
When flooding occurs, a FLAG may:
These actions can buy valuable time and keep people safer until formal support arrives.
Reporting Local Flooding Issues
Flood Action Groups can highlight recurring issues, such as blocked drains, watercourse blockages, or flooding hotspots, and report them to the relevant Risk Management Authority (RMA). Knowing who is responsible for different types of flooding is really important, for example, the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), or the local council may each deal with different aspects of flood risk.
By helping residents understand who is responsible for what, FLAGs can make sure issues are reported quickly and to the right organisation.
Building Relationships with Agencies
FLAGs often invite agencies such as the Environment Agency, LLFA, and council resilience teams to meetings. Building these relationships helps:
This collaboration helps integrate community-led plans into wider flood resilience strategies.
Lobbying and Influencing Decisions
By speaking with one voice, communities are more likely to be heard by decision-makers. Flood Action Groups can:
Accessing Funding
Some Flood Action Groups become formally constituted to access funding from local organisations and grants. Your local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) can support you with setting up a constitution and running a successful group.
Flood Action Groups bring people together, strengthen community resilience, and ensure that residents have a say in how flooding is managed in their area. By working with agencies, raising awareness, and supporting each other, communities can reduce the impact of flooding and recover more quickly when it happens.
For more information on forming a flood action group, download our resource by clicking here.
