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Engagement and education

A critical part of our work is raising awareness of the risks of flooding and how to be better prepared. We know that the impacts of flooding are reduced and recovery is quicker when people understand their risk and have taken action to prepare their homes, families and businesses. The ability to bounce back after difficult events is known as resilience.

In South Yorkshire we have a population of over 1.4 million people. Of these, around 32,000 people live in a flood warning area. This is an area where flooding is possible. We also know that nationwide, 3 in 5 people in areas at risk of flooding, don’t think they are at risk.

Making sure that everyone at risk is aware and supported to prepare is our goal. We do this in different ways.

Members of the public at the Connected by Water event stand.
Engagement at Yorkshire Day in Rotherham in 2023 – Credit: Connected by Water

Education Programme

We have ambitious plans to create a generation of flood aware citizens through providing a range of educational activities for young people.

We’ve started with a pioneering key stage 2 lesson which we are offering to primary schools in flood risk areas of South Yorkshire. This lesson, delivered on our behalf by Yorkshire Water and involving other Connected by Water partners, introduces the risks of flooding and different interventions that can be taken to reduce the risks, including traditional flood defences, nature-based solutions and personal resilience. Students then build a Lego robot to deliver flood defences and interventions across the region. The lesson supports the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum and increases understanding of the risks of flooding and how to be resilient.

In the below photos you can see students from Kilnhurst Primary School in Rotherham exploring the water catchment, flooding and how best to protect properties using the interactive catchment model.

In the future we want to expand our programme to a range of age groups and are also looking at developing a classroom for groups to visit.

Children playing with an interactive river model.
Students at Kilnhurst Primary School enjoying the interactive catchment model – Credit: Yorkshire Water

Children building a lego robot as part of an educational activity on flood resilience.
Students at Kilnhurst Primary School enjoying the interactive catchment model – Credit: Yorkshire Water

Events and collaborations

We are always looking for opportunities to join forces with organisations and community groups to raise awareness. Some organisations we’ve collaborated with so far have been museums and environmental charities. You can find some examples of our events and engagement below.

In August 2023 we joined Yorkshire Day celebrations in Rotherham!

Two people waving flags of the Yorkshire rose at a public event.
Members of Connected by Water flying the Yorkshire Flag at Yorkshire Day in Rotherham in 2023 – Credit: Connected by Water

Until November 2024 you can find information about Connected by Water in the City of Rivers exhibition at Weston Park Museum in Sheffield. We ran family activities at the museum earlier in the year.

Children working on colouring sheets about being prepared for flooding.
Family activities at Weston Park Museum in 2024 – Credit: Connected by Water

Poster for the City of Rivers exhibition at Weston Park Museum in Sheffield.
City of Rivers museum exhibition in Sheffield – Credit: Connected by Water

Further Information

View projects located in: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield
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