National Centre for Resilience

Case study 03

The Conservation Volunteers

Community Flooding Volunteer Project

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) are a UK national charitable organisation. Their aim is to empower communities and individuals to reconnect with and improve their local environment to deliver lasting, beneficial outcomes for both.

The Community Flooding Volunteer Project, led by TCV, was set up to enable communities to monitor identified local flood ‘hotspots’ and problem areas to assist their local Council’s Flood Risk Management Team and help early action to be taken if there was the threat of flooding.

Background/Context

To date, there have been two rounds of this project, each focussing on different areas of Scotland.

The geographical areas for engagement in this project were determined using the flood deprivation index.

The Project

The project started in 2018 and initially focussed on the areas of Clackmannanshire and Stirling. The project sought to work with and expand the existing community resilience groups in Menstrie and Tillicoultry while establishing new groups in Aberfoyle and Strathard (1 new group was founded in each). 

TCV worked with colleagues from SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and SFF (Scottish Flood Forum) to provide training and equipment for new and existing resilience volunteers. The volunteers would record what they saw at the pre-determined ‘hot-spots’, taking photographs and passing this information on to the Council. They were also trained in how to safely help clear the rivers and watercourses of debris and litter to help prevent flooding.

As well as working with community groups, TCV engaged with local schools, telling pupils about the Community Flooding Volunteer project. They provided training for students and teachers so that they could monitor and inspect hotspots near to their schools. In round one of the project Aberfoyle Primary School (P5/6/7) and Menstrie Primary School (P5) got involved—80 pupils and 6 staff in total.

The project proved so effective that the NCR agreed to fund a second year (April 2019-March 2020), this time looking to engage in three new areas of Scotland; Falkirk, Stirling and urban Glasgow. Unfortunately during year two of the project, one of the main risks was realised—the project can only work if you have a community and Local Authority willing and able to engage.

There was fantastic engagement in Fintry from the community and the local Primary school. However for various reasons, TCV were unable to establish connections in the other identified areas. In total five priority areas were investigated but the circumstances were not right in any of them for the project to take hold within the timescales. But there were still successes, and plenty of them...

Results

The Fintry Resilience Group were very keen to get involved in the project, in particular they were eager to find out the causes and patterns of flooding. Seven new volunteers were recruited along with teachers and pupils from Fintry Primary school. This means that 17 Flooding hotspots are now being regularly monitored and photographed with useful information being provided to Stirling Council.

Fintry community benefitted from networking days, demonstration days and presentations. Alongside the Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust, TCV ran practical volunteering sessions where more than 87 volunteers took part in tree planting and learned about natural flood management (right image). The second of these sessions involved 41 school children and teachers who took part in river dipping and tree planting. Given the recent  flooding in the area, the teachers involved stressed how good these activities were for the local children, letting them learn what they can do to help in their communities and sending a really powerful message.

The  project also gave TCV the opportunity to promote the excellent work they do and to work in partnership with organisations including: Stirling Council, SFF, Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust, Fintry Community Council and SEPA.

Overall this project has helped to raise awareness of community resilience and flooding, it has taught new skills to members of four different communities, building relationships between those community members and their local Council while helping to improve the resilience of these areas to flooding.

 

Menstrie Primary School P5 pupils.

 

Volunteer training in watercourse inspection and clearance for Clacks MCRG (Menstrie Community Resilience Group) & TIDECO (Tillicoultry, Devonside and Coalsnaughton Resilience Group). Delivered in partnership with the SFF, Clacks Council and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Next Steps

TCV intend to continue their work with SFF to help maintain the partnerships and community groups created as a result of this project.

The aim is to continue replicating this work in other ‘at risk’ areas of Scotland.

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First published: 2 April 2018