Local charity Greener Henley is bringing together leading experts in flooding and pollution, a high profile rowing figure and a prominent local business leader for a public panel discussion on the practical actions we can take as a community in the face of increasing flooding and river pollution. Under the title, ‘Protecting What We Love: Tackling Flooding and Pollution in Henley’, the event takes place on Wednesday 26 November, 7.00 – 9.00pm at the Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames.

With flooding risks rising across the town and ongoing pollution threatening the River Thames, the panel will explore how we can protect our homes, businesses and sporting communities from rising waters, whilst also reducing river pollution and ecosystem harm. The panellists will look at the impact on rowing of increased ‘red board’ days, when the river flows fast and may be in flood, which can disrupt year round training in Henley where the sport is central to the town’s identity. They will also examine how flooding and pollution affect local business continuity, and what steps can be taken to improve business resilience to shocks like flooding.

Practical actions will form the backbone of the discussion, covering steps towards flood and pollution prevention, as well as flood preparedness in the face of increasing climate impacts. The experts will discuss the growing risk of flash flooding and the local areas in which this is likely to occur.

Dr Jess Neumann, University of Reading, said:

“Flash flooding from sudden and intense rainfall can strike anywhere with little-to-no warning. Many of us acknowledge, and even accept that living by the River Thames in Henley means we are at potential risk of flooding. However, living on a hill, or away from a river doesn’t mean you can’t be flooded by surface water – and it can happen within minutes.”

Kate Oldridge of Greener Henley said:
“River campaigners in Henley, like the Henley Mermaids and citizen scientists “HoT Water”, have rightly been shining a spotlight on river pollution for some time. What we want to do now is to connect the dots. Flooding and pollution are deeply interlinked, and flooding isn’t just about the river rising, but also flash floods. By looking at these challenges together, we can identify and take the practical steps needed to make Henley not only cleaner, but safer and more resilient.”

Panellists include:

• Dr Jess Neumann, University of Reading – expert in pollution, flooding and community preparedness.
• Greg Searle MBE – Olympic rowing champion & Royal Regatta Steward leading in sustainability
• Jonathan Hobbs – Royal Waterman to His Majesty King Charles, and fifth generation owner of Hobbs of Henley
• Dr Pete Sudbury – Oxfordshire Flooding Taskforce, Oxfordshire County Council

The panel will be chaired by local resident Kate Lloyd, a behaviour change facilitator. This event is part of Greener Henley’s ‘Big Green Conversation’ series, which brings important issues centre-stage within our community, empowering everyone to explore and understand the problems we are facing, as well as how we can address them.