CANOEING FOR FLOOD ALLEVIATION

Dear all, 

Next week, I will be canoeing over 100 miles in six days on the upper Severn to support a new coalition of flood action groups, Severn Together: Communities in Action, in their bid to secure a scheme that will protect their homes for them and future generations. There is a website for this effort at www.severntogether.org 

I need your help with this. 

Simply, will you help me generate publicity for this effort on social media. You can amplify my post on Linkedin, follow the effort on Instagram, or share the website or put any message of support on your pages – it will help. 

Every day starting next Tuesday, I will be posting videos of my journey and talking about the importance of community-led flood alleviation and the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme. 

So, for this month’s newsletter, I wanted to tell you about how this effort has come together and what it means for flooded people’s advocacy to secure their lives against a changing weather and brutal planning system. 

One of my first experiences of flooding was walking through Siobhan’s door. In February of 2024, Vicar Paul took me to Shrewsbury. Looking through the Guardian’s coverage of flooding in the area, I found Siobhan’s name and contacts online. Sitting in a pub in Frankwell, I rang… and got an answer. Having clumsily introduced myself, Siobhan enthusiastically invited myself and the vicar over. A week later, we attended a meeting she held. And we have kept in touch ever since… 

Fast forward to the Autumn of 2025, I caught up with Siobhan, Katia, and Heather in what is now my favourite Shrewsbury Pub, the Armoury. We complained about the lack of progress on the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme, and how it left residents and FLAG members in the waiting process for something to happen… And we also started thinking about how we could make a difference to that. 

There are many communities (residents, farmers, landowners, businesses, etc.) impacted by flooding in the valley, and many more by the scheme. The first thing we could do better than anyone was to bring them together. But we needed a powerful ‘activation’ to generate inspiration. 

I’ve talked a lot about empowerment with flooded people. This feels so powerful precisely because it is led by those impacted, inviting their neighbours to consider the future of the valley and what is on offer. It is, to my mind, an amazing example of how flood action groups can build support for flood alleviation schemes in a way that is collaborative with authorities. 

It is powerful because it shows to the government that many of its voters in a key area really care about it standing up for the rural communities in the firing line of climate change in the Severn Valley catchment. This will help convince the government that it needs to bring everyone together to ensure that the full flood scheme is built. 

It is so powerful because it offers groups a way to take action they don’t usually take and generates positive publicity. It is working in the same direction as many of the risk management authorities, starting vital conversations, bringing neighbours together, and building out the larger voice that is needed to get things done. 

So a huge well done to Siobhan, Karen, Malcolm, Katia, Anne, Heather, and all the many wonderful leaders who have worked so hard to make this a reality. Let’s all rally behind them to make it a success.  

If you are in the area, you can come in person. Starting next Tuesday, we will be canoeing: 
Tue 1/9: Llanidloes -> Newtown, meeting at 10:00 at Hanging Gardens in Llanidloes for the launch event, and at 19:30 in Newtown for an event at Hafon Yr Afan Community Centre
Wed 2/9: Newtown -> Welshpool, for an informal gathering in the evening in Buttington, at the Green Dragon Inn
Thu 3/9: Welshpool -> Pentre/Melverley, meeting at the Royal Hill Inn in Pentre at 17:00
Fri 4/9: Pentre -> Shrewsbury, meeting at 17:00 for a Shrewsbury welcome between the Welsh Bridge and Porthill Bridge (Quarry)
Sat 5/9: Shrewsbury -> Ironbridge, stand next to Porthill Bridge from 10:00, aiming to canoe towards Atcham at noon. Stop at Atcham next to the Mytton and Mermaid around 14:30, before arriving in Ironbridge
Sun 6/9: Ironbridge -> Bridnorth, stand at Wharfage car park next to the Museum of the Gorge from 10:00, launching the canoes at noon, and arriving at 16:00 in Bridgnorth to conclude the journey, hosted by the Bridgnorth Rugby Club

 If you are not in the area, you can help us by sharing and liking and posting about it throughout the trip. 
My own Linkedin page, where I will share things. 
The Flooded People UK page, where we will amplify. 
The Severn Together Instagram, where we will share videos. 
The Severn Together Facebook page
The Shrewsbury Quarry FLAG Twitter. 
The website, which you can share anywhere. 


Let’s pull our sleeves up and make this a massive success. 

In solidarity, 
Louis