National Flood Forum

National Flood Forum
Name	National Flood Forum
Formation	2002
Type	Non-profit organisation
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Region served	England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Leader title	Founder
Leader name	Paul Allen

National Flood Forum is a United Kingdom-based independent charitable organisation formed to assist communities affected by fluvial and coastal inundation. It operates as a peer-support and advocacy body linking affected households, emergency responders, insurers, and national policymakers to improve flood resilience and recovery. The Forum engages with local authorities, statutory agencies, and voluntary organisations to influence practice on preparedness, property protection, and post-event support.

History

The organisation was founded in 2002 in response to widespread property flooding after the 2000s United Kingdom floods and subsequent events including the 2007 United Kingdom floods and the 2015–16 United Kingdom floods. Its establishment followed campaigns by community groups in flood-hit areas such as Boscastle, Hastings flood, and York 2000 victims who sought a national coordinating body. Early partnerships involved the Environment Agency (England and Wales), Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and the Met Office to translate hydrometeorological warnings into community action. Over time the Forum contributed to inquiries such as the Sir Michael Pitt review into the 2007 floods and fed into revisions of statutory frameworks including flood risk management elements of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

Mission and Activities

The Forum's mission centres on community resilience, practical recovery, and policy influence. Activities include convening survivor-led workshops in locations like Cumbria, Somerset Levels, and the River Thames basin; delivering training alongside Local Resilience Forums and British Red Cross; and publishing guidance referenced by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the National Audit Office reports. It promotes property-level protection measures discussed with manufacturers and standards bodies including British Standards Institution and works with insurers such as Association of British Insurers to address claims processes. The Forum also engages research partners like University of Oxford, Loughborough University, and Newcastle University to evaluate psychosocial impacts and long-term community recovery.

Structure and Governance

Governance is overseen by a board of trustees comprising representatives from flood-affected communities, emergency planning professionals, and legal advisers. The organisation registers as a charity and complies with statutory reporting to the Charity Commission for England and Wales and liaises with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Welsh Government for devolved policy matters. Operational teams work across regions including liaison officers embedded with county councils such as Cumbria County Council, Devon County Council, and unitary authorities like Cornwall Council. Volunteer coordinators maintain networks with parish councils, town councils, and community interest companies established after high-profile incidents including Hurricane Katrina-inspired community resilience models.

Campaigns and Advocacy

Campaigns have targeted improvements to flood insurance availability, property flood resilience grants, and community-level flood warnings. The Forum campaigned alongside groups such as ActionAid UK, National Trust, and The Rivers Trust during debates around the Flood Re scheme and reforms to the market overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority. It has submitted evidence to parliamentary bodies including the Environmental Audit Committee and the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and participated in stakeholder consultations with the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. Campaigns also address coastal change policy referenced in consultations from Marine Management Organisation and floodplain management promoted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Community Support and Services

Services include one-to-one survivor casework, community recovery surgeries, and mental health signposting in partnership with organisations like Samaritans and Mind (charity). The Forum runs peer-support groups modeled on initiatives from Citizens Advice and coordinates volunteer flood wardens akin to schemes in West Midlands and East Anglia. Practical support has involved coordinating builders, loss adjusters, and content restoration specialists after incidents such as the Hambleton flooding and assisting with access to grant funding from sources including emergency funds administered by local resilience partnerships and trusts such as the National Lottery Community Fund.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding streams combine charitable donations, grants from public bodies, and project funding with partners such as the European Commission (historically through cohesion funds), philanthropic foundations, and corporate sponsors in the insurance and engineering sectors like NFU Mutual and Arup Group. Strategic partnerships include emergency management agencies—Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Fire and Rescue Service—and academic networks such as the Flood Hazard Research Centre. Collaborative projects with the Royal Society and standard-setting organisations have supported development of technical guidance, while international links with groups engaged after the 2013–2014 United Kingdom winter floods foster knowledge exchange with counterparts in Netherlands flood risk authorities and the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Category:Charities based in the United Kingdom Category:Flood control in the United Kingdom