British Red Cross focus group on flooding – recruiting attendees in Rhondda Cynon Taf

I’m getting in touch as I am hoping you are able to help us with some research we are doing on behalf of the British Red Cross.

Collingwood Environmental Planning/Eunomia have been commissioned by British Red Cross to carry out research on how flooding affects people in the UK, looking at this question through the lens of climate change.

As part of this research we are carrying out focus groups in the four countries of the UK, in areas that have been identified as most vulnerable to current/future flood risk: Glasgow, Belfast, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Kingston Upon Hull. The purpose of this research is to enable the people who have been and may in future be most impacted by flooding to make their voices heard and to have a say in developing solutions to better deal with the challenges of flooding.

In Rhondda Cynon Taf, we are interested in hearing from people who have previous lived experience of flooding in their homes. I am therefore getting in touch to ask if you would be able to please share the attached invitation via your online forum, especially targeted at people who have experienced internal flooding in this area?

As outlined in the attached letter, the focus group is planned to take place on Monday 4^th July 6pm – 8.30pm. Participants will be compensated £65 for their time.

We will need to have a short telephone interview with each of the people who express an interest in participating in the focus group, to select a group of participants that reflects the demographic of the area. We are therefore working to rather tight deadlines. We would be very grateful if you could share this letter on your forum as soon as possible. If you could also share this email with other individuals and organisations who are likely to have contact with people in Rhondda Cynon Taf who have experienced flooding that would be very much appreciated.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with me or my colleague Paula, who will be running the focus group.

Would you be interested in joining a short focus group to share your experience of
flooding? (£65 compensation)

The British Red Cross is hosting focus groups in the four countries of the UK to explore
how flooding affects people. The purpose of this research is to enable people who have
been and may in the future be impacted most severely to make their voices heard and
have a say in developing solutions. The British Red Cross has a long history of responding
to flooding in the UK, providing people with immediate practical and emotional /
psychosocial support. These focus groups will provide the British Red Cross with vital
evidence on the need for improvements in flood risk management policy and practice.
The focus groups are being run by Eunomia Ltd, a company that has a wealth of
experience of working with flooded communities; Eunomia is partnering with Mercatus
Research, who will carry out the recruitment of participants for the groups.
We are approaching you as someone who has experienced internal flooding to the home
in the past, to invite you to apply to participate in a focus group in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The participation will involve attending a small meeting in a central and easily accessible
part of Rhondda Cynon Taf. The 8-10 people participating in the meeting will, like you,
all have experienced flooding in this area. The meeting will be held on Monday 4 th July
from 6-8.30pm. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. You will receive vouchers
worth £65 as a thank you for your participation.
If you would like to be considered for this meeting, please contact Jo East (email:
joeast.mercatus@gmail.com phone: 07723 072985) as soon as possible and no later
than 27 June. A member of staff from Mercatus will get in touch by telephone to explain
the next steps in the selection of the group of participants.
Thank you for reading this information. We hope you will consider applying to
participate in the focus group to share your important experience of flooding.