Community resilience in action

The Staplehurst Emergency Help Team (SEHT) demonstrated the value of community resilience when they sprang into action during a recent water outage affecting Staplehurst and the neighbouring parishes. This case study outlines the outstanding support their team of volunteers provided, summarises some of the challenges they encountered and highlights what they learned for their future resilience planning.

What happened?

In January 2026 Staplehurst, a large rural village approximately 9 mines outside of Maidstone, Kent,  were among several areas  to experience a prolonged loss of mains water supply lasting over a period of approximately one week, following a period of cold. This disruption to supply affected households, vulnerable residents, businesses, and community facilities.

Access to safe drinking water became an immediate concern and the SEHT was swift to activate a response, mobilising local volunteers and began coordinating local support which they sustained for the duration of the incident.

What did the team do?

The team managed the distribution of fifty-four pallets, equating to over 30,000 bottles of water to residents. This undertaking involved the ongoing coordination of deliveries, stock handling and safe distribution, including the staffing of an independent distribution point, all supported by volunteers.

• A staffed bottled water distribution point was established and operated daily throughout the outage period.

• For 3 days they operated 15 hours each day and volunteers covered extended hours to ensure residents could access water when needed.

• Bottled water was distributed to a wide range of residents, including families, elderly individuals, and those with limited mobility.

• Volunteers provided reassurance and guidance to residents, helping to manage confusion and concern during the incident.

How did they help those in most need?

Particular attention was given to residents identified as vulnerable, including those unable to travel to the distribution point. Volunteers assisted with doorstep deliveries where possible and signposted residents to additional support services. Informal welfare checks were carried out during interactions to identify any urgent health or safety concerns.

The response relied entirely on local volunteers, many of whom gave multiple days of service. Shift coordination, supply handling, and on-site safety were managed locally by the SEHT. Communication with residents was supported through community networks, social media and word of mouth, ensuring people were aware of support available.

What were the challenges?

The team had to overcome considerable challenges, with limited advance notice and evolving information making planning difficult throughout. SEHT had two pallets of emergency water in storage as part of their community resilience plan, and this was depleted within 40 minutes. The team needed to source an alternative supply of water, as requests for a supply from Southeast Water were not met until the final day of the outage when the volunteer-staffed station received eleven pallets.

Volunteers operated without formal recognition on official maps or signage, which caused some confusion for residents, however the team made use of its own established communications channels to get up-to-date information to those that needed it.

Chair of the SEHT, Mel Alesi said: “Strong community cooperation and volunteer commitment were key to maintaining internal operations over multiple days. The scale and duration of the outage placed sustained pressure on volunteer capacity however we are extremely grateful to everyone who gave up their time to help and proud what we achieved.”

“As a result of the team’s efforts, thousands of residents were supported with access to drinking water during the outage. The presence of a consistent, visible community response helped reduce anxiety and maintain calm.”

What was the learning?

The team identified some valuable learning from the incident. This included the need for clearer communication channels between resilience partners and local volunteer groups to support faster mobilisation. Pre-identified plans for volunteer support, signage, and equipment would also strengthen future responses.

Mel added: “The Staplehurst Emergency Help Team’s response demonstrated the value of local, volunteer-led action during infrastructure emergencies. The experience highlights the importance of integrating community groups into wider resilience planning to ensure timely, effective, and compassionate support for residents during prolonged service disruptions.”

Learn more about the team

Read more about the Staplehurst Emergency Help Team here: Staplehurst | Kent Prepared