FloodMind
About FloodMind
FloodMind - Estimating the Costs and Benefits of Actions to Improve Mental Health Outcomes Among Flood Victims - is a UK research initiative exploring how groundwater flooding affects people’s mental health, and what this means for policy, funding, and community support.
The research centres on three questions:
What actions can have the greatest positive impact on mental health before, during, and after a flood?
How do we move toward people-focused approaches to flood resilience?
What are the direct and indirect economic costs of mental health impacts from groundwater flooding?
The challenge
FloodMind brought together multiple research partners with different priorities and communication styles. Without a clear identity or consistent messaging, the project risked fragmentation, confusing stakeholders, and diluting the project’s core message that mental health deserves equal weight in flood risk management.
We were brought in to create and run the entire communications work package from the ground up.
Our approach
We started with the communication strategy using a light Theory of Change approach to create clear alignment between research activities, audiences, and intended outcomes.
From there, we developed the project's public identity and built the infrastructure to support coherent, research-led communication throughout the project lifecycle.
Throughout delivery, we worked closely with partners to ensure communication supported rather than competed with the research itself, including clarifying messages, establishing shared approval processes, and embedding ethical practices appropriate for sensitive mental health topics.
What we delivered
A full communication work package, including:
A communication strategy using a light Theory of Change approach
Project branding, style guide, and visual identity
Branding for the project, including the FloodMind name
Public-facing website (with data processing and GDPR compliance)
Newsletters, articles, and technical documents
Outcomes
The communication work gave FloodMind a clear voice and visual presence, enabling:
Consistent messaging across partners and stakeholders
Early visibility in the flood resilience and research community
A structured platform for engagement as research findings emerge
Freedom for the research team to focus on evidence and fieldwork while knowing they had support to get the work out.
