Blue Heart

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Investigating how water works in Eastbourne and south Wealden, to help reduce the impact of flooding in the future.

Exploring how to be more sustainable in using water, smarter in managing it, and helping everyone to be 'flood ready'. Blue Heart is a flood mitigation project with a community focus. We're gathering information about water, nature/ecology, and heritage in Eastbourne and southern Wealden to build a picture of the area over time and from different perspectives. Add your pins, photos, videos and audio - and see what others have shared: https://blueheart.communitymaps.org.uk/welcome

05/11/2026

Last week, Lindsay and Tegan visited Langney Primary Academy, joined by Anna Fyffe and Angel Townsend from Southern Water. They had the chance to see Meristem Design at work, excavating a new rain garden and building a planter.

Langney Primary Academy has experienced significant flooding over the last couple of years and has benefited from a range of measures delivered through Highways, Blue Heart and SuDS for Schools.

It's amazing to see the difference these improvements are making, with the school already reporting positive results during recent heavy rainfall!

The work is now complete, including a new rain garden, planters and five newly planted trees, helping to manage rainwater naturally, reduce flood risk and support wildlife.

A great example of different projects and organisations working together to make a real difference to a local school and its community.

The visit also provided an opportunity to see the work of Meristem Design's Alex Shipp and Wilf Maccoll, who have been involved in delivering the new installations.

29/10/2026

To help celebrate Flood Action week, Blue Heart’s Missy and Stanleys Tale book has been on tour! Mary Long-Dhonau OBE – also known as ‘Flood Mary’ – made a special stop to Pocklington Junior School, near York, reading the story during morning assembly.

The students were full of curiosity and asked wonderful questions such as "what makes flood water dirty?", "how can I prepare for a flood?" and "what should I do with my pets in a flood?”.

A big thank you to Pocklington Junior School for having us, Mary for stepping in to read the story, and to our partners at Project Groundwater Lincolnshire, Defra, The Environment Agency, JBA Consulting, Flood Re, IPFRA, and Aardman for helping to bring Missy and Stanley’s Tale – storybook edition – to life!

Missy and Stanley’s Tale was created as part of the Blue Heart project, which is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, managed by the Environment Agency.

27/10/2026

Eastbourne is planning ahead to 2042. What’s in the plan?

Eastbourne Borough Council is inviting residents, businesses and community organisations to find out more about the Local Plan and how to respond.

The Local Plan is now at Regulation 19, the final stage of public engagement before it is submitted for independent examination by a Planning Inspector.

It will guide how Eastbourne develops over the coming years, covering housing and development, neighbourhoods, transport, jobs, community spaces, nature, climate and resilience.

Not sure what Regulation 19 means or where to start?

There’s a drop-in event at Eastbourne Town Hall where you can view the plans, speak to council officers, ask questions and find out how to submit a response.

📍 Eastbourne Town Hall
📅 Tuesday 3rd November
⏰ Drop in anytime between 4pm and 8pm

The deadline for responses is 5pm, Tuesday 1st December 2026.

Find out more and view the Local Plan here:
https://www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/Eastbourne-Local-Plan-Regulation-19

23/10/2026

New funding for community resilience in Sussex:

The Sussex Community Resilience Fund (CR2), established by Sussex Resilience Forum and administered by Sussex Community Foundation offers grants of up to £5,500 for voluntary, community and not-for-profit organisations.

The fund supports projects that help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies identified in the Sussex Community Risk Register.

Activities could include:

• Community emergency planning
• Community response training
• Volunteer coordination
• Welfare support
• Communications and awareness campaigns
• Resilience equipment
• Supporting vulnerable or isolated residents during emergencies

📅 Applications open: 2 November 2026
📅 Closing date: 14 December 2026
Funding decisions are expected in March 2027.

A useful opportunity for groups looking to strengthen community networks, support volunteers and help local people be better prepared for emergencies.

Find out more, including eligibility and how to apply:
https://sussexcommunityfoundation.org/grants/how-to-apply/additional-grants/sussex-community-resilience-forum-cr2-fund/

22/10/2026

Having a plan for emergency situations - including flooding - means you already know what to do if the situation arrives. In stressful situations it can be hard to think clearly, so better to do the thinking when you're calm.

There are many things you can do beforehand to lessen the impact of a flood. This could be as simple as making a list of irreplaceable belongings that you'll move out of harms way, or using 'property flood resilience' measures such as a flood barrier or air brick covers.

Check. Does your household, work or community have a flood plan? Visit BeFloodWarned and befloodready.uk for information and support.

This clip is from an Aardman Animation, Missy and Stanley's Tale, which we've also made into a TV ad. Keep a look out for it on Channel 5, Sky and some streaming channels from October 12th until the end of November.

Links in bio via Linktr.ee

20/10/2026

How often do we turn on the tap without thinking? 🚰

This Thursday, 22nd October, is Water Night. From 5-10pm, Waterwise is inviting us to pause non-essential tap use and notice just how much we rely on water every day.

Drinking, cooking and washing your hands carry on as usual. It’s about spotting habits we could change, like leaving the tap running while brushing our teeth, and finding ways to waste less.

Across the UK, landmarks will be lighting up blue to mark the evening.

Will you be taking part?

Find out more, sign up and explore free activities and water-saving tips:
https://waterwise.org.uk/water-night-2026

16/10/2026

On Tuesday, our Blue Heart project manager Tegan joined Jenny from Tales From Mother Earth, co-author of Missy and Stanley’s Tale, at the Houses of Parliament for an evening hosted by Flood Re to mark Flood Action Week 2026 and the relaunch of BeFloodReady.

The story follows Missy and Stanley as an unexpected flood turns their pet basket into a raft. Their journey through flooded streets shows how quickly familiar places can change, and why being prepared matters. 💙

Julie Foley from the Environment Agency gave the book a special mention during her speech, and everyone got to watch the animation together. Lovely to see Missy and Stanley getting a moment in the spotlight!

Missy and Stanley’s Tale was created as part of the Blue Heart project, which is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, managed by the Environment Agency.

Watch their story: https://befloodwarned.uk/missy-and-stanley

15/10/2026

Have you met Missy and Stanley yet? There's an animation of their flood adventure on befloodwarned.uk, along with activities for kids.

Watch the animation, pack your interactive grab bag, try the puzzles and read about what happens if there's a flood (child-friendly information).

Missy and Stanley’s Tale was created as part of the Blue Heart project, which is funded by Defra as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programmes, managed by the Environment Agency.

13/10/2026

A flood can change your life. Make sure you know whether your property is at risk of flooding.

Visit befloodwarned.uk and befloodready.uk for information and support.

This clip is from an Aardman Animation, Missy and Stanley's Tale, which we've also made into a TV ad. Keep a look out for it on Channel 5, Sky and some streaming channels from October 12th until the end of November.

See the whole animation and kids activities on the befloodwarned website.

Links in bio via Linktr.ee

12/10/2026

Today sees the official launch of BeFloodWarned.uk, a new platform which brings together national and local information about extreme weather and flooding for people living and working in our area.

Surface water flooding (also sometimes called flash flooding) can happen anywhere if there's heavy rain with nowhere to go, so its a good idea to stay informed and know what to do.

Find out more about the local picture at https://befloodwarned.uk/

This week is Flood Action Week, a national awareness-raising campaign by the Environment Agency. For more national information, go to: https://floodaction.campaign.gov.uk/

Address

Eastbourne

Website

http://blueheart.org.uk/, https://linktr.ee/blueheartsussex

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