Clinton Rogers to headline Somerset Prepared event

Somerset residents are invited to join the annual Somerset Prepared Community Resilience Day on Wednesday 15 October at Taunton Racecourse Conference Centre (10am to 4pm).

This is a free community event to find out more about being ready for emergencies such as flooding, severe weather, power cuts, or issues on the road.

Celebrity guest

Distinguished broadcaster Clinton Rogers has been announced as headline speaker for this year's event. Drawing on his long career in journalism, often witnessing aftermath of events such as flooding on communities, Clinton will inspire local groups to strengthen their emergency preparedness.

The event, hosted by the Environment Agency, Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA), Somerset Council and partner organisations, coincides with the Environment Agency's Flood Action Week.

Somerset Prepared Community Resilience Day offers locals practical skills, expert advice and real-world insights into protecting their communities from flooding and other emergencies. Residents can boost their skills, knowledge and resilience with a programme of interactive workshops.

What is happening at this year's event

The day's workshops will include:

• Testing emergency plans with Somerset Council's emergency planning response and recovery team

• Understanding the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier's role in flood protection

• Learning fraud and scam prevention from Avon and Somerset Police

• Finding out how to get flood prevention going in your community

For the first time, local resilience businesses will showcase their expertise directly to attendees, alongside traditional emergency response organisations. This reflects the event's evolution from awareness-raising to practical action-taking.

Knole Flood Group will share their journey from identifying local flood risks to getting protection measures funded and built with support from the SRA, whilst Project Groundwater will demonstrate practical monitoring systems and early warning techniques that communities can implement themselves to be groundwater "flood-ready".

Local heroes

During the day, Somerset Prepared Community Resilience Awards will be presented to individuals and groups who have made exceptional contributions to their communities' emergency preparedness, celebrating the grassroots heroes who often go unrecognised.

Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, executive member for Communities, Housing Revenue Account, Culture and Equalities and Diversity at Somerset Council said:

We're delighted to welcome residents to the Somerset Prepared Community Resilience Day.

The enhanced programme of workshops and expert sessions provides an invaluable opportunity for communities and leading experts to meet and learn from each other, and the day is always full of lively conversation and spirit.

Dr Bel Deering, community engagement officer for Somerset Rivers Authority, said:

Having Clinton Rogers headline this year's event demonstrates our commitment to bringing the very best expertise to Somerset communities.

Community resilience is at the heart of effective emergency preparedness, and this event provides the knowledge and tools that can make a real difference when emergencies strike.

Emma Giffard, Environment Agency flood resilience engagement advisor, said:

After three wet winters in a row, and with climate change bringing more extreme weather, it's easy to see how preparedness for flooding and other emergencies is more important than ever.

This event is a positive example of how we can meet these challenges together. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge they can implement immediately to protect their communities.

Event details and how to register

The Somerset Prepared Community Resilience Day is on Wednesday 15 October, 10am to 4pm at Taunton Racecourse Conference Centre, TA3 7BL. Entry is free but reservation is required. See EventBrite.

The event is open to all Somerset residents, community group leaders, parish councillors and anyone interested in improving their community's resilience to emergencies.