By Richard Kirkham, SALIENT Academic Lead and Deputy Director of the Thomas Ashton Institute for Risk and Regulatory Research
Last week, I booked a day’s annual leave to catch up with a good friend in the Lake District; we had planned to meet in Glenridding and head out on a trail run to Red Tarn and Helvellyn. The route is stunning and offers amazing views on a clear day; Helvellyn itself features Striding Edge and Swirral Edge – two ridges on the eastern side of the mountain – both popular with walkers and trail-runners who have a head for heights and enjoy a challenge. Unfortunately, our best laid plans were scuppered the day before, when I received a text message from my friend: “It’s basically full winter conditions here so you need good winter kit to have anything remotely close to an enjoyable day.” A very brief inspection of my running kit was enough to conclude that I didn’t have the requisite equipment. Being mindful that my friend is also a volunteer with the local mountain rescue team, I decided to ‘dip’ (as my kids would say!) and await milder weather!
With an unexpected free-day, I meandered around my kitchen pondering what to do, whilst diplomatically encouraging the kids to leave for school on time. My wife helpfully suggested that I complete at least one of the numerous outstanding household chores – or join her in a punishing ‘BodyStep’ class in our freezing cold garage courtesy of an ‘app’ that she subscribes to. I am always amazed by my wife’s energy and enthusiasm for these exercise classes, particularly on days when she’s finished a full day of work as a community nurse.
Thankfully, I avoided ventricular fibrillation during the ‘BodyStep’ class, and celebrated my achievement with a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Whilst recovering and listening to the kitchen radio, a familiar voice caught my attention – it was the long-suffering chair of Tadcaster Albion Football Club, Andrew Charlesworth. ‘Charlie’ (as he is known locally) was discussing the recent flooding of the football stadium (a perennial issue) and the importance of local residents contributing to the government consultation on a new project, the Tadcaster Flood Alleviation Scheme [1]. Charlie was also broadcasting a plea for help; the mess left behind by the flooding was significant, and volunteers were being sought to help sweep up. I looked at my wife and said, ‘I don’t suppose you’re doing anything, are you?’
We met Charlie at the stadium along with a few other local residents who were at a loose end and wanted to help out. Unbeknown to us, a reporter from the local ITV news programme ‘Calendar’ had arrived to interview Charlie and help raise awareness of the challenges facing the football club and the wider community, as a consequence of recent flood events [2]. As I set about sweeping up, the reporter inquired into why I’d come down to help and asked me to explain why the football club was so important to the local community. As a junior football coach, I had plenty to say on this subject although the final cut was somewhat briefer! The point I made was a simple one; local sports clubs play a crucial role in building community cohesion. Tadcaster Albion FC, like many non-league football clubs, relies heavily on local volunteers to survive – this reminded me of the crucial work of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum and the volunteers of Tadcaster Flood Action Group, who are dedicated to improving resilience and preparedness in the town.
The importance of effective, locally co-ordinated responses to flood events was brought into sharp focus in December 2015 during Storm Eva. Tadcaster river bridge, originally built in the 16th century to span the River Wharfe, suffered a partial collapse as a consequence of high river levels. The subsequent work to reinstate the bridge was always more than ‘just’ a civil engineering project – it was key to restoring community resilience. By way of example, the community nursing team based adjacent to the bridge faced a 16-mile round trip to treat patients living on the other side of the River Wharf. Today, the bridge is much more resilient to the effects of high water levels, but is subject to closure when levels reach 2.8m (revised upwards from 2.42m following a recent engineering inspection, by North Yorkshire Council). These closures have a profound impact on the community and the ability of local agencies to deliver core services [3].
It is fair to conclude that the people of Tadcaster are familiar with the importance of community resilience (and the role of the bridge in enabling it) but what about wider society? There is no doubt in my mind that the SALIENT programme will further our understanding of societal resilience and build upon the existing portfolio of UKRI research analysed in our first working paper authored by Dr Ian Tellam, a social anthropologist. The story of Tadcaster bridge is a reminder of why SALIENT adopts of a ‘human-centred systems approach’ to societal resilience; the lived experiences of those affected by crises events should inform policy makers with the evidence they need to make effective public spending decisions, and more broadly, emphasise the need to improve or understanding of the benefits of resilience spending.
Interestingly, resilience is a term that young people in my community are familiar with – particularly in the context of individual (personal) resilience; schools, uniformed youth organisations and community grassroots sport promote resilience through their education programmes and structured activities. The Marmot Review of 2010 recognised the imperative role of schools in building resilience, and endorsed a policy objective that, ‘schools, families and communities work in partnership to reduce the gradient in health, wellbeing and resilience of children and young people’.
It was therefore of little surprise to me that I would be reminded of this whilst attending a fitness session we organised for the under-14s junior football squad one Sunday morning. As we entered the gym space, my eyes were immediately drawn to a large motivational plaque on the wall, featuring the dictionary definition of resilience. “You will need plenty of this over the next 50 minutes lads” I remarked as we walked past the plaque! As the squad set about their training session, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own experiences of being a junior football coach and the resilience that I have needed to draw upon when times have been tough. As a wise person once said to me – “Richard, one of the skills of a volunteer is the ability to recognise, almost instantaneously, those people who chose not to!”
I was therefore delighted to hear that my own institution, The University of Manchester, is actively encouraging line-managers to promote volunteering amongst colleagues – and to facilitate three days paid leave (pro-rata) per holiday year to participate in a volunteering activity of their choosing.
As a ‘volunteering practitioner’ myself – I know the value of the time that I give to others, and the personal rewards for doing so. From an academic perspective however, we know that building emergency resilience through volunteers is incredibly powerful. Historically, individuals who self-mobilise to offer unpaid support in emergencies, were viewed by some as more of a hindrance than a help to emergency responders in the aftermath of a crisis event. Without connections to existing official response organisations, it was feared they may put themselves or others at risk.
SALIENT colleague Prof Duncan Shaw’s work has confronted these perceptions and recognised the value of what he calls ‘spontaneous volunteers.’ His work, funded by ESRC, identified how spontaneous volunteers can effectively and safely be used to assist public sector bodies and private sector organisations in local and national emergencies. As a result, the research has had a significant impact on UK and international policies on mobilising spontaneous volunteers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In my next blog, I will explore the role of public houses in community resilience. As a ‘fully paid up’ member of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), I have closely followed the policy debates that have sought to protect communities from the deleterious impacts of pub closures. In 2016, CAMRA commissioned research from Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University on the role of pubs at the heart of their community. The report found that pubs play a key role in facilitating friendships and that those who have a local pub are happier, more trusting, and better connected to their community. Sadly, fifty pubs a month closed permanently across England and Wales in the first half of 2024 according to analysis by Altus. Their report found that 305 pubs closed, meaning the number of pubs in England and Wales fell to 39,096 at the end of June [6].
On that note, I will retire to an aptly named pub in the City of York, where I can commence my (informal) research for the next blog!
Sources and references
[1] Tadcaster Flood Alleviation Scheme consultation gets underway – GOV.UK
[2] Andrew Charlesworth: ‘We would have had a big crowd, now it’ll have to be moved to mid-week’ (BBC Radio York Sport) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kgj1l2
[3] Tadcaster Bridge a ‘lifeline’ to the town’s residents – BBC News
[4] The Marmot Review Team. Fair Society, Healthy Lives: Strategic review of health inequalities in England post2010. London: Marmot Review Team, 2010. In Local action on health inequalities: Building children and young people’s resilience in schools, Health Equity Evidence Review 2: September 2014: Local action on health inequalities
Building children and young people’s resilience in schools.
[5] Building emergency resilience through volunteers https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/how-we-are-doing/research-outcomes-and-impact/esrc/building-emergency-resilience-through-volunteers/
[6] Fifty pubs a month shut in first half of year in England and Wales, figures show, Guardian Newspaper, Mon 23 Sep 2024 05.00 BST, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/23/fifty-pubs-a-month-shut-in-first-half-of-year-in-england-and-wales-figures-show
Civil Engineering Procedure, 8th edition, The Institution of Civil Engineers. https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/infrastructure-projects/the-repair-of-tadcaster-bridge
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