OREANDA-NEWS. Colnbrook Flood Action Group (CFAG) is set to receive a major cash injection following its successful application to Southern Electric Power Distribution’s Resilient Communities Fund.

CFAG, which was set up in the aftermath of the flooding which battered the Thames Valley in early 2014, is receiving nearly 17,000 pounds from SEPD’s new fund which is designed to help local not-for-profit organisations help their towns and villages be better prepared to deal with severe weather and emergency situations.

Last year’s flooding affected 70 properties in the village, with 15 being completely flooded. The money from Southern Electric Power Distribution (SEPD) will be used to buy vital equipment that will support local residents during a major flooding event, including waterproof radios which can be used to give volunteers a more efficient way of keeping in touch, temporary flood barriers and a shed to store all of the equipment. One innovative purchase is the special “sandbags” that use a polymer filling that absorbs water during the flooding, and when they are dry again they are very light and don’t take up a lot of storage space.

Building on the community spirit that was so vital during the flooding, CFAG members have met with local and national agency representatives such as the Environment Agency, Thames Water, police, local and borough councils. From these meetings they have tailored their own plans for how to deal with any future floods, which now form part of Slough Borough Council’s emergency plans.

Puja Bedi, Chair of CFAG said that last year’s flooding brought the community together, and this has been an important part of ensuring the group itself has been a success. She explained: “If we have a flood in the future, our volunteers will work alongside the emergency services to help support local residents, for example by checking on elderly or vulnerable members of the community and provide hot food and drinks at village hall.

“To buy all of this on our own would have been impossible, as the cost was well beyond our limited budget, and so we are very grateful to SEPD. The funding will enable us to get so much invaluable equipment that will mean so much if the waters rise in the future.”

Stuart Hogarth, Director of Distribution for SEPD said that the Resilient Communities Fund was all about strengthening the company’s links with its customers: “This application really sums up the community spirit we’re looking for, and I think it’s fantastic to see customers dedicated to working together to help each other in times of crisis and emergencies. While we can’t control the weather, what we can all do is plan for when conditions turn nasty, and so I’m really pleased that the people of Colnbrook are going to benefit from this donation.” 

SEPD established its Resilient Communities Fund to help local communities plan for and cope with emergency situations, such as gale force winds, floods and power cuts caused by extreme weather events. The deadline for the second round of applications is 25 September 2015, and community groups across central southern England can apply for grants between 500 and 20,000 pounds.