Somerset Prepared Summer Newsletter 2021.

Somerset Prepared Summer Newsletter 2021.

Somerset Prepared Website

Summer Newsletter 2021

 

Welcome to the Summer update from the team at Somerset Prepared!

In keeping with the British stereotype, we’ve had a real mixed bag of weather lately, from hot and sunny to rain and even some flash flooding which have caused some extensive damage to homes and infrastructure in our county. This highlights the importance of making sure we as a community are prepared and resilient in the face of known and unknown events.

In Covid news, Somerset remains busy with more tests being undertaken and thousands of vaccinations being put into people’s arms by our brilliant NHS local authorities and an army of volunteers. A huge thank as always to all those involved in this monumental effort.

As we transition out of lockdown, the Somerset Prepared team have been busy planning for what comes next! We are delighted to announce that preparations are well underway for our next Somerset Prepared Online Event which will be coming to you in October. We have opened up a form to register your interest, please read more about this below.

If you want to get more involved with emergency preparedness, response or recovery in Somerset, please check out our Volunteers page for more information.

Best wishes,

Somerset Local Authorities’ Civil Contingencies Unit

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Somerset Prepared Event 2021

The next Somerset Prepared  event will be running throughout the month of October. As a result of Covid 19 we have decided once again to host this online, with a collection of videos, live talks and interactive seminars for you to get involved with. The full itinerary will follow closer to the time so watch this space!

We have now opened up for people to register their expressions of interest for the event. If you would like to sign up you’ll receive a goody bag from Somerset Prepared complete with tea and biscuits, so you can enjoy these online sessions while relaxing with a cuppa. The pack will also include the programme schedule and a few other useful surprises.

Please click on the link below to register your interest and receive your free goodybag. The Somerset Prepared 2021 Poster is also available through this link to download and share:

Somerset Prepared 2021 Virtual Event – Somerset Prepared

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Communities Prepared Sessions – October 2021

Communities Prepared is delighted to be supporting Somerset Prepared’s 4th Annual Virtual Community Resilience Event in October.

The Communities Prepared team is leading three, live online training sessions for Somerset flood wardens and community volunteers, hosted via Zoom and delivered in partnership with local agencies. The first session on recruiting volunteers will be delivered with Spark Somerset and explore the use of stories and other engagement techniques in growing the capacity of volunteer groups and sharing the resilience message with the wider community. The second session will look at the types of insurance that volunteers may come across in their roles, exploring some of the potential challenges and FAQs with support from an insurance professional. In partnership with Somerset CCU, the third session will look at writing and implementing risk assessments and the rationale behind these for multi-role volunteer groups.

Further details about these free sessions will be announced in due course, but to stay in the loop, please sign up to the Communities Prepared monthly newsletter or follow @CommunitiesPrep on Twitter.

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Please Help Us to Record Flood Events

The Flood and Water Management Team at Somerset County Council (SCC) are interested to know if your property in Somerset has been affected by flooding.

The Flood Online Reporting Tool (FORT) has been developed to report any type of flooding that may have affected your property in the past or future events.  The link below can be used by members of the public or community Flood Wardens.

https://swim.geowessex.com/somerset – Flood Online Reporting Tool (FORT)

https://Flood Online Reporting Tool (FORT) Presentation – You Tube – guide for Flood Wardens

Flood and water management (somerset.gov.uk) – for further information and alternative contact details for SCC Flood and Water Management Team.

Your report will help the Team to investigate flood events and may provide useful information for subsequent flood protection schemes.

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Rotary and Inner Wheel – Free Flood Packs

Low lying  areas, particularly those near water courses can represent a considerable threat to households.

Rotary and Inner Wheel store household flood packs to mitigate the effects of flash flooding.. Each pack consists of 30 self-inflating hessian ‘sandbags’ and 30 plastic chemically reusable self-inflating ‘sandbags’ with an additional 60 Polymer inserts to enable the Bags to be re-used. The latter can be chained together to form a barrier.

The packs are available free of charge as a donation from Rotary and Inner Wheel.

Initial enquiries can be made to David Welch –

David303welch@btinternet.com

07785924256

Somerset Adaptation Pathways

A new online tool is giving people the opportunity to explore the impacts of climate change on the Somerset Levels. The tool has been created as part of the Adapting the Levels project to help local people turn individual ideas into plans for collective action, focusing particularly on the challenges of flooding and drought. It is designed to encourage adaptation thinking in decision making, helping communities to be better prepared in a changing future.

The tool uses a cutting-edge technique that’s being employed around the globe to plan for climate change. ‘Adaptation Pathways’ are a simple way of looking at complex issues, to see how different options interact.

Adapting the Levels has worked with parish and town councils, businesses and communities to create draft pathways, which are available to explore online. They include reducing rainwater runoff from homes and gardens, managing flood risk in Wedmore and Langport, and managing flooding and drought on agricultural land. The tool is designed to be used on a tablet or desktop computer.

The adaptation plans can be used by parish councils looking at local issues such as surface water flooding, or to inform Somerset’s strategy with wider issues like river flooding or increasing agricultural pressures.

Everyone is invited to add their voice by visiting www.adaptingthelevels.co.uk

Adapting the Levels is a partnership between Somerset County Council, Somerset Wildlife Trust and the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group South West. It is funded by the EU’s Interreg 2 Seas Regional Development Fund and Somerset Rivers Authority.

Mental Health and Wellbeing in Farming Webinar  Thursday 22 July 2021 – 6pm

This online event is being run in connection with the Trading Standards Farming Partnership and is an evening of talks about mental health, wellbeing support and safety for farmers, the farming community and industry.

Please sign up at

Mental Health and Wellbeing in Farming Tickets, Thu 22 Jul 2021 at 18:00 | Eventbrite and share with others!

We have some really good speakers booked for the evening and there will be an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers and Trading Standards.

The event is being run by Devon, Somerset, Torbay and Plymouth Trading Standards Service

Somerset Prepared Small Grant Scheme

Don’t forget that you can apply to Somerset Prepared for up to £5000 for training, equipment or other costs that would help your community be better prepared for emergencies. Applying is simple, and we are happy to work with you to find the solutions that are right for your community. See the Funding Support page for terms and conditions and how to apply.

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COVID-19

As lockdown eases, but please make sure you remain vigilant and follow the Covid guidance. For information on the latest National and Local information relating to Coronavirus, small business grants, NHS advice and useful links, go to: https://www.somerset.gov.uk/coronavirus/

Volunteer with Spark Somerset

Spark Somerset provides the volunteering service for Somerset, helping volunteers find opportunities with the fantastic variety of charitable and community groups in Somerset. Go to Spark a Change to discover the right volunteering opportunity for you, or to create and share a volunteering opportunity for your group  https://www.sparkachange.org.uk/ . We also provide expert guidance and support to groups managing volunteers contact volunteer@sparksomerset.org.uk, phone Spark Somerset on 01458 550973 or visit https://www.sparksomerset.org.uk/support/volunteer-service

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We would love your feedback!

Have your say on what you’d like to see in these newsletters. Please Contact us and let us know.

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Combe St. Nicholas Parish Council