Researchers from Lancaster University and Save the Children have produced a new report on a study exploring children’s and young people’s experiences of the UK winter 2013/14 floods, in which they worked with them to develop ways of improving policy and practice to provide better support and enhance resilience. They found a number
of factors which impacted on children’s wellbeing, including: loss of valued personal and family possessions, friendship networks, familiar spaces, education; experience of fear, anxiety, poverty, isolation, unfairness, destruction, stress, uncertainty, being ignored/misunderstood; and lack of flood education provision in schools for children and all staff. More should be done to provide more information to children during and after flooding as they have a right to know how to prepare, what to expect and how they can contribute. The research showed that children can play an active part in helping their communities during and after a flood and derive benefit from this. You can download the report here.