Call for communities to 'Stand up to Flooding' on eve of anniversary

Our campaign calling for more local people and businesses to be prepared ahead of flooding has been backed by villagers who were among the hardest hit in Leicestershire’s worst floods almost a year ago.

The ‘Stand up to Flooding’ initiative is being spearheaded by the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) and has been welcomed by villagers in East Goscote who experienced unprecedented local flooding in January 2025.

By raising awareness of what people and businesses can do to protect themselves before, during and after flooding, the LRF wants to empower communities to boost their own resilience. It aims to:

  • Make it clear ‘who does what’ and which organisation to contact when flooding happens
  • Recruit more flood wardens in communities across Leicestershire and Rutland
  • Support communities to create their own Community Response Plans
  • Encourage businesses to assess their flood risk and take action
  • Highlight how communities and organisations can work together to build resilience to flooding and other risks

When East Goscote was flooded in January, it was devastating. I’ve lived here for 50 years and I’d never seen anything like it. 

“It also showed us how vital it is to be proactive and prepared when it comes to flooding. This campaign is about making sure people are ready for flooding, and that they know who to contact and how to protect themselves. If it can happen to East Goscote, it can happen anywhere

Nick Shivers, East Goscote Volunteer Flood Warden

Since the flood, villagers in East Goscote have stepped up their resilience efforts. The village has its own Community Resilience Group which has worked with the Local Authority Resilience Partnership (part of the LRF) to create a bespoke Community Response Plan for the village.

The Parish Council now has a dedicated resilience cabin for its equipment and flood wardens carry out weekly patrols to make sure drains and waterways are clear.

East Goscote is a great example of community resilience in action. 

“While there are lots of organisations offering support, we want to empower more communities to boost their own resilience so they’re better prepared if and when flooding happens - whether that’s by recruiting their own flood wardens or creating a Community Response Plan

Callum Faint, Chair of the LRF

For information on how to support your community or business to ‘Stand up to Flooding’, visit our dedicated flooding pages.