The Calderdale based charity, Slow The Flow, five local retailers and Friendly Soap are coming together to raise money to promote the benefits of using natural methods to reduce flood risk in Calderdale.
Although the people of the Calder Valley are no strangers to flooding, the devastating Boxing Day Floods of 2015, which were no doubt exacerbated by climate change and poor land management, came less than a month after previous floods and left many residents homeless or without power in one of the coldest months of the year.
These terrible events inspired a group of local engineers, land-managers, landscape architects, educators, and communication specialists to get together and have a good think about what they could actually do about it.
The group formed Slow The Flow. STF have since successfully used natural flood management techniques (NFM), such as planting trees to soak up rainfall and to store carbon, digging swales, which hold water during heavy rainfall events and create wetland habitat for wildlife, slowing the release of water as it runs into tributaries and rivers. Slow The Flow volunteers and Trustees have built more than 800 leaky dams to slow the flow, inspiring hundreds of volunteers to take part in community action, empowering people, strengthening the local community whilst promoting its sense of stewardship and its own ability to effect positive change.
Friendly Soap are now working with Slow The Flow, raising funds and awareness by donating 10% of every instore Friendly Soap purchase to Slow The Flow, whilst educating local customers on the important work STF do.
Bede Mullen, Chair of Slow The Flow said
“We are absolutely delighted to have the support of Friendly Soap in helping us to raise money for our important work to reduce flood risk here in Calderdale. It is this kind of support which makes a huge contribution to raising awareness of flood risk and how communities can help themselves by adopting simple measures to slow the flow. As climate change continues to affect our weather, companies like Friendly Soap are instrumental in conveying this message to their customers and we look forward to working with them to illustrate and educate our community about the many merits of natural flood management and sustainable drainage solutions.”