University of Chester
Build back together – reaching the last mile
Finalist, Creating Impact
About
The Aston Ingham project is a strong example of community-centred impact, where residents led efforts to address local flood risk. Initially considered too small to secure council funding, the community engaged the University and established a co-production partnership. This combined local, practice-based knowledge with academic expertise, including Environment Agency flood mapping, fieldwork, and applied technologies.
Together, they installed real-time data sensors (funded by the University and Parish), generating critical evidence to support funding bids. This enabled the community to successfully secure additional funding from Gloucestershire and Shropshire Councils.The project also strengthened local capacity through a community-led flood warning system using text and email alerts. Ongoing impact is supported through a linked PhD
project.
Overall, the initiative demonstrates how placing communities at the centre can deliver
sustainable, scalable outcomes while unlocking investment that traditional approaches
may overlook.
Top 3 learnings
- We learnt that community co-production builds trust, ownership, and long-term resilience.
- We learnt that small investments can unlock major funding and wider systemic impact.
- We learnt that universities play a catalytic role in advancing sustainability and local resilience.
What it means to win
Winning this award would celebrate not only the success of this project but also our institution’s belief that sustainable change is achieved through equitable partnerships. It would recognise the transformative impact of combining academic expertise with community knowledge to strengthen resilience, unlock funding opportunities, deliver locally owned flood adaptation measures and build long-term community capacity.
Sustainable Development Goals
| 2026 | |
| Creating Impact | |
| Finalist, UK and Ireland |
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