[A]dler & Allan has announced that flood mitigation measures are now being installed at Botcherby Community Centre as part of the Cumbria Resilience Showcase Project. Materials, man power and professional services have been supplied free of charge by companies supporting the initiative. Project work is now progressing after months of planning and will benefit the entire local community.
Spearheaded by flood resilience campaigner, Mary Dhonau OBE, in partnership with Adler & Allan, the Environment Agency and the DEFRA Roundtable, the Cumbria Resilience Project raises awareness of an issue close to the hearts of many in the Cumbrian region and demonstrates the measures that can be taken to reduce the devastation caused by flooding.
Flood measures are now being put in place at Botcherby Community Centre in Carlisle, a building which was badly damaged by flooding last year. Specialist building company RTC from Blackpool will re-plaster the building inside, offering the walls improved protection should water get into the property again and other flood resilience measures include:
- The fitting of flood barriers donated by FTEC and Lakeside Flood Solutions
- A Flood Defence Network floor door donated by Ark Flood Defence Network
- Flood resilient windows made by Watergate and donated by The Flood Company
To complete the project, Adler and Allan will be fitting a special flood resilient kitchen donated by Steelplan Kitchens. The steel and metal carcasses of the new units are extremely strong and durable as they are impervious to water due to their polyester powder coating. They are also fire resistant.
Mary, who has been documenting the installation of the improvements on a YouTube Channel, commented on the work so far: “It has been truly wonderful to see several months of hard work and planning come together to bring this Community Centre back to life. I am very grateful for the incredible support and time which all of the companies involved have offered.”
Once work has finished on Botcherby’s popular Community Centre, the Cumbria Resilience Project will move its attention to Edenside Barn in Great Corby and The Lucas Restaurant in Keswick, with work commencing in the next few weeks.
The DEFRA Property Flood Resilience Roundtable is a government sponsored group, including members of the Business Emergency Resilience Group (BERG). Mark Calvert, CEO of Adler and Allan leads this task group for the Roundtable, which is aiming to raise awareness of the risks of flooding and to demonstrate what can be done to mitigate the effects. He said: “This project really demonstrates the ethos behind the initiative – bringing the community and industry together to protect our buildings from floods in the future and to demonstrate what is achievable.”
