'Our homes are on the line': Flood campaigners to take on six-day canoe journey down the River Severn
Residents calling on government to back water management scheme with long-term solutions
Residents in some of Shropshire’s worst-hit flood areas are taking to the water to call on the Government for urgent action, insisting: “Our homes are on the line.”
Communities are taking part in a six-day canoe journey along the River Severn as they implore the Government to back the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) - an initiative to develop long-term solutions for flood-ravaged areas.
The trip will run from September 1 to 6 from Llanidloes in Powys, Wales, to Bridgnorth in east Shropshire, stopping in various towns and villages along the way to meet residents, businesses, farmers, schools and more who are affected by floods.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the growing challenges facing the Severn Valley and build support for the full delivery of the SVWMS.
It has been organised by campaign group Severn Together: Communities in Action.
Siobhan Connor, co-founder of the group and chair of the Shrewsbury Flood Action group, said: “This is a symbolic journey through the consequences of inaction, flooded communities canoeing on flooded routes.
“We are living in a climate of warmer and wetter winters and communities are facing relentless, unliveable repeated flooding.
“The personal and economic devastation that flooding brings cannot be overstated and we cannot carry on living like this.
“The only hope for us is the SVWMS is going ahead in full and fully funded.
“The scheme needs to hold back 40,000 Olympic-size swimming pools, 57 Wembley Stadiums, 100 billion litres of water with modelling.
“Our homes are on the line on this.
“I, like many others, have already done all I can to protect myself with property flood resilience measures and are still flooding.
“I am not compromising on my home, my health, my future. My community needs to feel safe and not face a future of nothing but a black hole.
“The Government needs to invest now in the whole of the SVWMS as a bold approach to managing water that will secure the viability of our future.''
Shrewsbury-based Hire a Canoe is providing the boats for the journey.
The UK's Climate Change Committee has warned that worsening flooding, drought and extreme weather pose a growing threat to communities, infrastructure, public health and economic stability, reinforcing the need for faster action to build resilience.
The SVWMS has developed a coordinated approach designed to hold water when there is too much and make more available when there is too little, providing benefits for flood protection, water security, agriculture, communities and nature.
Campaigners argue that the scheme's effectiveness depends on it being delivered as an integrated programme rather than through isolated projects.
Throughout the six-day journey, participants will gather stories and experiences from communities living alongside the river, highlighting both the human cost of repeated flooding and the opportunities offered by long-term water management.
To learn more about the Severn Together campaign group and get involved, visit severntogether.org.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.