We appreciate that the speakers kindly gave their time to help promote elements of resilience at our event. Their topics feature in the Southwell Community Resilience Handbook.
Chrissie Dale, Mrs D Design
Sustainable Drainage Systems
Chrissie is a local keen gardener specialising in gravel gardens for flood mitigation. She is disseminating, at ground level, Sheffield University’s research in Designed Ecology for flood mitigation by their PhD student, Mike Livingstone in the Department of Landscape. She presented suggestions on what the householder can do on their own land to help reduce flood risk as well as looking attractive.
Julia Davies, Academic Team Leader, School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, NTU
Environmental Stewardship
This presentation described how we can all take care of our town to ensure it’s a welcoming, pleasant place to live and visit, as well be more resilient to cope with challenging weather conditions.
David Martin, Southwell Flood Forum core member and Southwell Town Councillor
Social Capacity and Resources
This presentation demonstrated the ways in which we can call on our skills, experience and resources to build personal and community resilience.
Hazel Reeve – Civil Contingencies Advisor – The Met Office.
Understanding Weather Warnings & Flood Warnings
With 35 years’ experience in forecasting and observing the weather, Hazel’s talk helped us understand weather forecasts and warnings and how to know when we need to be ‘on alert’. She also explained how the Weather Observation Website (WOW) works and how it’s used by the Met Office
Josh Wells, PhD Student, School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, NTU
Natural Flood Management Walking Tour
Josh’s research is on Flooding in Southwell – he led a walking tour of Natural Flood Management techniques which are going to be used on the Brackenhurst Estate.
Steff Wright, CEO – Gusto Group
Sustainable Drainage Systems
Gusto develop eco and high performance housing giving due consideration to the local environment and are currently developing Becher’s Court on The Burgage. Steff focussed on planning requirements for developers regarding the attenuation of surface water runoff and the ways this can be achieved.
Dr Stephen Rogers, Southwell Flood Forum, Education Resource Group
Personal Emergency Plans & Grab Bags
Stephen is an education professional, and volunteers with Southwell Flood Forum, on the Education Resource Group. He explained why we need to prepare ourselves at personal and household level to cope with any incident that may affect everyday life.
