Cotswolds flood wardens scheme

In 2021, Cotswold District Council launched a new flood warden scheme with the help of Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC). The scheme involves recruiting and training volunteer flood wardens from across the district to provide information and advice to householders on flood precautions and also support with the response to flooding. 

Cotswold Flood Wardens are volunteers who act as the "eyes and ears" in their communities. They are a key link between Cotswold District Council, responsible agencies and their community, to receive and pass on messages, and to update from their patch to improve local resilience. They will be able to help provide important local information during a flood event and can also act as a key contact during the recovery stage. Flood Wardens might be part of a group working with the parish council to bring together a Community Emergency Plan, or to inform relevant parties about blockages when they have warning of a storm approaching.

Cotswold District Council and GRCC work closely to coordinate the scheme and share news and resources to the wider community. GRCC provide 1-2-1 support to Flood Wardens outside of emergency events and coordinate Flood Warden training sessions three times year with input from key agencies e.g. CDC, Civil Protection Team, Environment Agency and Gloucestershire County Council Flood Risk. They are also available to support communities to create or refresh Community Emergency Plans.

For more information on becoming a Flood Warden or Community Emergency Planning contact Helen Richards at GRCC: [email protected]