This line from ‘The Boxer’s Guide to Climate Resilience’ particularly resonates with those of us who work in FCRM. Traditionally, church halls and other such venues have been hired to engage with the community about their flood risk, and whilst there’s nothing wrong with the venue per se, this line provides the most insight. 

To help build resilience in our communities, first, we must think about how to raise awareness of risk. To be effective and provide a sustainable legacy across society, we must understand what makes up each community we work in.

Every community is different, and so we can’t rely on a ‘one size fits all’ approach. For example, we should consider whether hiring the local hall is effective if the community has a higher-than-average population of families. The parents will be busy collecting children from school, getting food prepared, and doing homework. 

Instead, armed with the knowledge of the demographics, there needs to be a greater portfolio of tools and resources available to engage. Later in the performance, the chief protagonist Jo reflects on how communities themselves can be a valuable source of inspiration.