The Scottish Flood Forum is a charity that was founded in 2009, and it is mainly funded by the Scottish Government, receiving £200,000 per annum, with additional donations and other small grants. It was initially set up by the Scottish Government before going on to become a charity—a model that we could emulate in Wales. It works alongside communities at risk of flooding to ensure that their voices are heard and understood as part of flood mitigation planning and flood recover responses—a vital step to ensuring that flooding is not as traumatic and serious for as many as it is now. Local communities are given support and advice where needed to help manage the flood risk, and the forum also advocates on their behalf. They provide independent advice and services, and are able to provide more devolved and local support to those who need it. They also provide local communities with flooding guides and advise on insurance and flood recovery. This is something that is currently missing in Wales. We have no official guidance for those who are at risk and wish to defend their properties. They also have a live warning system in place via Twitter, and, while this is similar to NRW's warning system, it seems to be more effective. They even work with communities to install hyperlocal flooding alert systems, empowering communities to be directly involved in such schemes. 

The Scottish Flood Forum was born out of the National Flood Forum, which was established as a charity in 2002. Though initially funded by the UK Government, it is now funded by fundraising and donations from the public. Though operating in both England and Wales, in reality, their involvement in Wales is very limited at present and relies on pockets of funding for them to undertake some specific work. As a result, they predominantly work in England, and their resources are only available in English. If you look at their social media, you will see how they visit flooded communities with their recovery trailer to offer support and advice directly to residents and businesses at once following a flood. Their main focus is assisting individuals who have been affected, and they also help to guide legislation relating to flooding. They provide clear information and services to victims of flooding and have launched a website, along with a Twitter account, as well as a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week floodline for contacting in case of emergency, as well as providing independent advice regarding flood defence and insurance. They work hand in hand with Flood Re to provide advice to those who are living in an at-risk area, in terms of insurance.

When they have been funded to work in Wales, the feedback has been extremely positive. And while we could simply fund the National Flood forum to expand its work here in Wales, I think that if you look at what the benefits have been in Scotland of having a Scottish flood forum, they seem to support that we need one in Wales. In fact, if you look at the model, the Scottish Flood Forum and the National Flood Forum work closely with one another, and each have a representative on each other’s boards. I have spoken to people associated with both and they agree that Wales would greatly benefit from having a specific flood forum that could also work in conjunction with them. Now, I know that money is limited, but experiences of at-risk communities in both Scotland and Wales show the value of equipping communities to cope with the impacts and threats of flooding, and it's something that we can and should be improving here in Wales.

People in our at-risk communities are currently unsure who they can contact for advice and support in relation to reducing the flooding risk to their home or business. And, as I mentioned, many are open about their lack of trust in local authorities and NRW to fulfil such a role, especially when those organisations are overwhelmed by the demand for support when flooding hits, especially with recovery afterwards. A national flood forum here in Wales would mean that we would have a better understanding of why flooding starts and what can be done to support and help local communities. The voice and experience of those living in at-risk communities are an important factor in understanding why flooding is so severe in some areas, yet this is something that local government often overlooks. There is also the element of local support to consider. Many individuals who are flooded within a community both give and receive emotional support. As I've mentioned, flooding is an extremely traumatic event, and many will struggle with the aftermath. By having the support there to help, they are able to recover.