D:00 H:00 M:00 S:00
This September we're canoeing together to call for a long-term commitment to protect homes, businesses and communities from chronic flooding.
Bring communities, businesses, and farmers together behind a shared call for long-term flood protection.
Listen to people living with flooding to ensure their voices shape the future of the Severn Valley.
The plan is there. We need full Government commitment to deliver the Scheme in full now.
1-6 September 2026
Six days on the River Severn, canoeing from Llanidloes to Bridgnorth. Select a day to explore the route and see where community events are planned.
The river route is indicative. Event times and venues may be subject to change.
Day 1 Tue 1 Sep
Welcome event at Hanging Gardens Café in Llanidloes, followed by the launch at Severn Port Park.
Evening event at Hafan Yr Afon Community Centre, Newtown.
Day 2 Wed 2 Sep
Paddling through Powys, informal gathering at The Green Dragon Inn, Buttington, Welshpool.
Day 3 Thu 3 Sep
Arrival and welcome event at Crew Green Bridge, confluence of the River Vyrnwy and River Severn.
Event and gathering at the Royal Hill Inn in Pentre.
Day 4 Fri 4 Sep
Arrival and welcome event at Welsh Bridge and Quarry Park in Shrewsbury.
Day 5 Sat 5 Sep
Gathering and event in Quarry Park, by Porthill bridge, Shrewsbury.
Arrival and meeting with Atcham community members at the shore by The Mytton and Mermaid.
Day 6 Sun 6 Sep
Public event next to Museum of the Gorge, and launch of last journey from the beach at Wharfage. Finishes 11am.
Afternoon finale event at Bridgnorth Rugby Club, Bandon Lane.
As we travel along the river, we will be stopping in towns and villages to hear directly from residents, businesses, farmers, schools, community groups and local organisations.
How has the River Severn affected your community?
What challenges do you face from flooding, drought or changing weather?
What opportunities do you see for your area?
What would a more resilient Severn Valley mean for you, your family or your business?
Pentre, Shropshire
Co-founder, Flooded People UK
If we don't forward opportunities immediately and manage our water environment with the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS), whole areas will not thrive. The economy & development stops, transport paralysis, water poverty & public health become a crisis, along with the loss of local livelihoods; these are just some of the outcomes.
Along the River Severn we have already suffered from these outcomes, our lives destroyed by flooding and drought, businesses and local economy on its knees. It's time for change! The Government needs to invest now in the whole of the SVWMS as a bold approach to managing water that will secure the viability of our future.
Chair, Shrewsbury Flood Action Group
We are living in a climate of warmer and wetter winters and communities are facing relentless, unliveable repeated flooding. The personal and economic devastation that flooding brings cannot be overstated and we cannot carry on living like this. The only hope for us is the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme is going ahead in full and fully funded. The scheme needs to hold back 100 billion litres of water, the equivalent of 40,000 Olympic size swimming pools or 25 Wembley Stadiums.
I am extremely worried that SVWMS are going to pretend they've built the whole scheme and are going to build only part with Natural Flood Management and push property flood resilience which is a distraction. Our homes are on the line on this. I have already done all I can to protect myself with PFR and still flooding. I am not compromising on my home, my health, my future. My community need to feel safe and not face a future of nothing but a black hole.
My biggest fear is that this scheme ends up like Tenbury Wells, a £21m scheme to protect the town taking over ten years, until it is diluted to Natural flood management and PFR. Only the full SVWMS can deliver protection. Government must fully fund it now – no delays, no half-measures.
Every conversation helps ensure that local voices remain at the heart of the future of the Severn Valley.
Scenes from homes along the Severn Valley, February 2022.
The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme covers an area of 2,500 km2 in Wales and England
100 billion litres of water must be stored
Equivalent to 40,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools
The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) is developing a long-term, catchment-wide approach to managing water across the River Severn.
Communities across the Severn Valley have lived with flooding for years, and climate change is making both flooding and drought more frequent and severe.
The longer action is delayed, the greater the uncertainty for families, businesses, farmers and communities. For communities along the Severn, the time to move from planning to delivery is now.
In May 2026, the Climate Change Committee warned that the UK's way of life is under threat from worsening flooding, drought and extreme weather, and that the country must accelerate action to adapt to a changing climate. It also highlighted the need for stronger national action to reduce flood risk and build resilience.
The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme has been developed as a catchment-wide approach. It is designed to work across the whole Upper Severn, with different projects working together to slow the flow of water and reduce flood risk.
Delivering only parts of the scheme could reduce its overall effectiveness and leave communities without the level of protection that a coordinated approach is intended to provide.
Communities need more than short-term projects or piecemeal investment. They need confidence that a long-term plan will be delivered.
A clear commitment from the Government would provide certainty for residents, businesses, farmers, landowners and local authorities, allowing them to plan for the future. It would also ensure that today's decisions leave future generations with a more resilient Severn Valley.
Experts are reinforcing our message.
The National Emergency Briefing brings together leading scientists and specialists to explain why climate change and nature loss now represent one of the UK's greatest long-term risks, affecting communities, food security, infrastructure, public health and the economy. Its message is clear: delaying action will increase both the risks and the costs of responding.
For the Severn Valley, acting now means delivering long-term solutions before future flooding causes even greater damage. We're calling on the UK and Welsh Governments to give the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme the backing it needs. That means committing to the funding, partnership and long-term support needed to deliver the scheme in full, helping to create a more resilient Severn Valley for current and future generations.
Without a long-term, coordinated approach, communities risk continued uncertainty, repeated flooding and missed opportunities to improve how water is managed across the Severn Valley.
We believe future generations deserve better. That's why we are coming together to show our support for action now.
In practical terms, that means holding more water when there is too much and making it available when there is too little, creating lasting benefits for people, places and nature.
The future of the River Severn belongs to everyone who lives, works and cares about it.
Whether you are a resident, farmer, business owner, volunteer, student or simply someone who values the river, we would love you to be part of the conversation.
Together, we can build a stronger, safer and more resilient Severn Valley for future generations.
Have a question about the journey, a community event or the future of the Severn Valley? Send us a message and a member of our resident-led team will get back to you.
You can also email us directly at severntogether@gmail.com.
Made possible with the help of
