New 'Missy and Stanley's Tale' film helps the public prepare for flooding risk
Created in partnership with Aardman, the Environment Agency and East Sussex County Council
A new film, produced in partnership with Aardman, the Environment Agency and East Sussex County Council, has been launched today (Monday 12 October) to help people understand their flood risk and the support available to protect their homes and families.
Its launch comes as part of Flood Action Week, the Environment Agency’s national campaign encouraging people to check their flood risk, sign up for flood warnings, and take simple steps to protect their property ahead of a heightened risk of flooding this winter.
Building on previous flood resilience animations, including Missy’s Tale and Darcy’s Tale, all directed by Åsa Lucander at multi-award-winning studio Aardman, this latest film supports the Environment Agency’s ongoing work to help communities understand their flood risk and take action to protect themselves, their property and their livelihoods.
As the nation marks Flood Action Week, the Environment Agency has launched ‘Flood Action Online’, a one-stop shop for flood advice. This will benefit millions of families across England by bringing together actionable guidance and easy access to Met Office weather alerts during incidents, this will support homeowners in becoming more resilient to flooding, including through practical changes like property flood resilience measures.
The government has also set a new commitment to safeguard 200,000 properties from flooding, delivering a total economic benefit of £27.9 billion in avoided damage as communities gain better protection and growth is delivered in every postcode.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:
Missy and Stanley’s Tale’ supports our ambition to ensure this country is ready for and resilient to flooding and coastal erosion for generations to come.
Flood defences and infrastructure are essential to flood resilience, which is why we have committed to safeguarding 200,000 properties from flooding and have launched ‘Flood Action Online’ to help people strengthen their flood resilience.
Missy and Stanley’s tale helps people of all ages understand how they can prepare for and stay safe when faced with flooding.
Julie Foley, Director of Flood Risk Strategy and Adaptation with the Environment Agency, said:
Launched as part of our Flood Action Week campaign, ‘Missy and Stanley’s’ tale encourages people across the country to ensure they’re prepared for the risk of flooding.
Understanding flood risk enables people to better prepare and understand how to respond when flooding is expected, ensure communities can recover quicker.
Åsa Lucander Director at Aardman said:
It was a privilege and a joy to bring this small film to life, while helping to raise awareness of such an important issue. Through the eyes of Missy and Stanley, we take the viewer on a journey into a heartbreaking ‘what if?’ scenario - one that I hope will really hit home for each and every one of us.
With this film, we want to encourage people to be more aware and better prepared, so that if the nightmare does become a reality, they know how to act and protect themselves and the ones they love most.
Cllr Peter Griffiths, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, said:
We are delighted to have developed Missy and Stanley’s Tale, which is a great way to help people understand the potential risk of flooding on their lives.
It will help raise awareness ahead of flood events enabling residents to sign up for warnings, make informed decisions, and take practical action to improve their resilience before flooding happens.
The film was developed by Blue Heart Project, led by East Sussex County Council, and funded through the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme that is managed by the Environment Agency.
In the film, flooding arrives unexpectedly and turns Missy and Stanley’s pet basket into a makeshift raft.
As they travel through flooded streets and past local landmarks, Missy and Stanley learn how dramatically flooding can change familiar places.
The video is available to watch on YouTube now: Missy and Stanley’s Tale by Aardman - YouTube