Across the UK, communities are becoming increasingly proactive in preparing for flooding. From volunteer flood groups to local resilience partnerships, organisations are helping residents reduce flood risk before severe weather arrives. As part of FloodClip’s Community Spotlight series, we’re highlighting the people and organisations making a real difference.
When people think about flood response, they often picture emergency services arriving during a major incident. What is less visible is the work that happens before the floodwaters rise, the planning, preparation, training and community engagement that can make all the difference when severe weather strikes.
That is exactly where Perth Community Flood Aid comes in.
Founded following the flood event that affected Perth in September 2022 (2nd major flood event in 2 years), the group was established with a simple but important goal: to help both individuals and communities become better prepared for future flood events.
Although still a relatively new organisation, Perth Community Flood Aid has quickly become an important voice for flood awareness and resilience in the area. While the group has fortunately not yet had to deploy a full-scale emergency response, members have remained active through a number of smaller flood incidents, helping to raise awareness, share information and support preparedness efforts across the community.
As the group’s founder explains, not having faced a major deployment yet is something everyone is happy about. After all, the ultimate aim of flood resilience work is to minimise damage and keep people safe. However, the quieter periods between major events are often when the most important work takes place.
Perth Community Flood Aid was created in response to lessons learned from the September 2022 floods. Rather than waiting for the next major event, the group set out to build stronger local knowledge and encourage preparedness.
“After my home was flooded in August 2020 I spent days researching products that I could use to protect my home without really knowing what I was looking for. I purchased manual airbrick covers and submersible pumps. When there was another flood event in September 2022, worse than the previous one, my home was not as badly affected, thanks to the property flood resilience (PFR) items I had purchased. I decided to try to raise awareness around PFR so that others could benefit from the knowledge I had gained. When Perth Community Flood Aid received it’s first £15,000 of funding it was to purchase PFR measures for those who could not afford to do so themselves. Since then, we have helped 16 residents increase the resilience of their homes directly, worked with the Scottish Flood Forum to complete around 30 Property Flood Resilience Assessments, shared information with countless residents and given talks at meetings, events and schools. To be honest, forming a Community Resilience Group had not been part of the original idea, but it has also become a major part of our work.
We have 5 Sandbag Stations, with another 3 about to be installed. They contain differing resources depending on what the issue is at that location. There are 3 sites where the redirection of floodwater back into the watercourse is key to saving homes from flooding, so FloodClip barriers are included – at one site we have deployed them, receiving thanks from residents for stopping the water enter their properties. Others contain sandbags, polythene (to increase sandbag effectiveness), a trolley, waterproof gloves, road signs, a broom and rake, and Floodsax, with access to headtorches too. There are volunteers assigned in each area, ready to open the Sandbag Stations (so that residents can come and collect sandbags), and deploy the FloodClip barriers. We can share information, raise awareness and deploy barriers, but the idea is that we help residents to help themselves. We are a small group so, at present, this is what we can manage. We want to be able to do more but one thing you can never have is too many volunteers, and to do more, we need more!
FloodClip temporary flood barriers are designed to redirect shallow floodwater quickly without permanent installation, making them particularly useful for community flood response.
As well as our Sandbag Stations we have our RiverTrack https://www.rivertrack.org/ system – sensors record watercourse levels, share them online and with group members who have monitors, and set off an alarm if levels reach a preset level. We also have a weather station and keep a close eye on weather forecasts, SEPA and Met Office warnings, and receive information from residents. Our website and Facebook page share this information.
We couldn’t do what we do without our committee and volunteers, Perth and Kinross Council, who provide funding and support, and the Scottish Flood Forum who have been an ever-present source of guidance, information and support.
Flooding is the biggest environmental threat to Scotland. Much more action around the installation of flood resilience at individual property and community levels, and investment in all areas, from individual property resilience to full flood protection schemes is needed.”
As climate change contributes to more frequent extreme weather and increased flash flooding, communities are playing an increasingly important role in flood preparedness. While emergency services remain essential during major incidents, local volunteer flood groups can often take early action by monitoring conditions, sharing warnings and deploying temporary flood barriers to help redirect floodwater away from vulnerable homes and roads before emergency responders arrive.
Combined with property flood resilience measures, flood emergency planning and trained volunteers, temporary flood barriers provide communities with a practical way to respond quickly as flood conditions develop. Investing in local flood resilience helps reduce disruption, protect homes and improve community preparedness for future flood events.
One of the most valuable aspects of groups like Perth Community Flood Aid is their willingness to learn from every event, whether large or small. By documenting incidents, sharing experiences and maintaining a record of local flood history, they help ensure that lessons are not forgotten once the water recedes.
Their website contains a wealth of information about how the group was formed, local flood events and ongoing efforts to improve resilience across the Perth area. These resources not only support local residents but also provide useful insights for communities elsewhere looking to strengthen their own flood preparedness.
Perth Community Flood Aid | Flood Support & Resilience in Perth
Are you part of a flood support group, or know a community organisation making a difference in flood resilience? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch and share your story.
A community flood resilience group is a volunteer-led organisation that helps local people prepare for, respond to and recover from flooding.
They support flood preparedness through training, flood emergency planning, monitoring local conditions, sharing warnings and providing flood protection equipment.
A temporary flood barrier is a reusable flood defence that can be deployed quickly to redirect or block shallow floodwater during a flood event.
Yes. FloodClip barriers are designed for rapid deployment by trained volunteers as part of a community flood response.
FloodClip barriers help communities by redirecting floodwater, protecting vulnerable areas and supporting local flood resilience during severe weather.
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