While we are always here for you, it is lovely to get feedback on how we have helped in the very stressful times of flood events.
“Mary has been a fantastic force for good during the creation and establishment and flood protection group of the Property Care Association. Her knowledge and experience are second to none and her enthusiasm for sharing what she knows to be right is infectious.With a focus on the rights, needs and requirements of those unlucky enough to be affected by flooding, Mary is indeed a true champion of flood victims.
Her tenacity has desire to help have made her into a incredibly well informed and impeccably connected expert. We are pleased to work with Mary and will ensure our relationship is maintained. We have greatly benefited form Marys guidance, knowledge and expertise and we are certain to work with her again as and when the opportunity arises. Mary is someone you want on your team!”
Stephen Hodgson
Technical at Property Care Association
“As a flood victim myself, I have seen at first hand the extraordinary work that Mary has done to both help individual victims and at the same time almost single-handedly lobby locally and nationally with such strength and humility that these very real issues have been given such great importance by all political Parties.
Mary’s passion stems from the fact that she was a flood victim herself and only someone who has experienced this can talk knowledgeably about it .Mary’s style of working was extraordinary in that she got things done in a way which got people to work with her and she commands huge respect across the political spectrum and in the media.”
Community Comment
“Mary has advised our community on the impact of the changes to household insurance, and how best to manage the risk in the light of the new Flood Re Scheme.
Mary has landscape knowledge of the whole Flood Plan arena and was deemed invaluable in her advice to our community. Unlike some experts in this arena Mary is a flood victim herself, and therefore knows exactly how to communicate these issues to a community.
I would wholeheartedly endorse Mary and her work for any communities who need to deal with this issue.”
Dr. Jacqui Taylor
Expert Advisor European Commission
“Many congratulations on your OBE award from the Garforth Flood Warning/Awareness Group. We had a meeting last evening and I passed round the e-mail I had had about you and everyone was very pleased and said that there was no-one who deserved it more.”
Community Comment
“When government, the voluntary sector and private business comes together for a project of national importance, you need a collaborative, patient, determined, skilled Project Lead. Mary fits the bill completely.
Her tenacity, refusal to accept defeat, her ability to bring people together and her insight into the value and importance of the project were all invaluable to the ultimate success of the project.
I cannot recommend Mary highly enough.It was an honour to work with her and I am eternally grateful for everything she achieved.”
Mark Calvert
Various non-exec roles
“As a flood victim myself, I have seen at first hand the extraordinary work that Mary has done to both help individual victims and at the same time almost single-handedly lobby locally and nationally with such strength and humility that these very real issues have been given such great importance by all political Parties.
Mary’s passion stems from the fact that she was a flood victim herself and only someone who has experienced this can talk knowledgeably about it .Mary’s style of working was extraordinary in that she got things done in a way which got people to work with her and she commands huge respect across the political spectrum and in the media.”
Community Comment
“Mary is a remarkable person. She has passion backed by a quality of knowledge that is awesome. Her advice to our Forum and her hands on involvement have been fundamental in winning the battle for flood defences in our town.”
Community Comment
The Duke of Gloucester has asked me to write to thank you for hosting him on his recent visit to the victims of flooding in Worcester. He was very grateful for your enthusiasm and depth of knowledge on flooding issues. His Royal Highness was also very impressed by your dedication and thought your passionate talk in the evening reinforced the broader objectives of the Inter-Institutional Flood Forum, indeed reminding us all of the human and physical consequences of flooding. The Duke asked me to pass on his very best wishes and would encourage you to continue your excellent practical work to support both communities and individuals against the threat of flooding.”
“Dhonau herself is something of a phenomenon ~a de facto flooding tsarina who has waded from the waters and made such a splash that even Whitehall has had to listen…. She will talk to anyone who will listen~ local community group’s radio and television, the Pitt review, the House of Commons, Environment Agency, the House of Commons select committee, Defra……”
Richard Girling
The Sunday Times
“It’s rare that you come across someone who is so committed to really making a difference to reducing the impacts of flooding. Mary is often described as ‘Mary, Queen of Floods’, which couldn’t be more true!
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Mary for nearly two years on the Northamptonshire Community Flood Resilience Pathfinder Project, where she played a leading role in engaging with communities across the county, making them aware of their risk of flooding and the devastating impacts this could have on their lives.
Mary is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to what works well and what doesn’t! She has a detailed knowledge of property level protection, flood insurance and is always at the forefront of the latest learning. Mary is extremely creative, talented, hard-working, a warm co-worker and a joy to collaborate with. She was always supportive of her colleagues and customers!
I truly believe that without Mary’s personal experience of flooding and the devastating impacts it causes, we would not have managed to engage with as many communities as we did. I was particularly impressed by Mary’s ability to handle even the toughest of situations. This is a skill that often takes years to develop, but comes perfectly naturally to her. Mary is able to command a room and get people on board with ideas - even those who were initially on completely different pages.
Mary would be an asset to any team or any position requiring community engagement, and earns my highest recommendation.”
Josie Bateman
Environment Agency