If you’ve spent any time working in the flood resilience industry, you’ll know that Property Flood Resilience (PFR) is no longer a fringe topic. As our climate changes and flood risk intensifies, there is a growing consensus that our homes and buildings must be designed to withstand - and recover from - the impacts of extreme weather, to minimise disruption to people’s lives.
It’s against this backdrop that the International Property Flood Resilience Association (IPFRA) was born. We caught up with IPFRA’s Chair, Graham Brogden MBE, to learn more about how the new trade body came about and why now is the right time for a united voice in the sector.
Graham, let’s start at the beginning. What is IPFRA and why was it formed?
IPFRA was officially launched during the Flood & Coast Conference in June, but it’s been many months in the making. The idea came from a shared recognition across the industry that we needed a central body to unify, represent and support those delivering PFR on the ground.
That includes contractors, surveyors, manufacturers, installers, consultants - you name it. These are the people helping to make properties across the UK more flood resilient. But until now, there hasn’t been a dedicated organisation to represent their interests, raise standards or provide a collective voice. IPFRA was created by the industry, for the industry, to change that.
And what are the main aims of IPFRA?
There are several. First, we want to professionalise the sector by promoting quality, consistency and accountability across the supply chain. We’re working to raise awareness of PFR’s role in climate adaptation, ensure trusted standards are applied across the board, based on IPFRA’s Code of Conduct, while giving our members a stronger voice in national policy discussions. Ultimately, we want to help mainstream PFR so that it becomes a routine part of the UK’s approach to resilience, not an afterthought.
You mentioned having a voice in policy. How is IPFRA involved in those conversations?
We’re already having those conversations. One example is our contribution to Professor Peter Bonfield’s Flood Resilience Review, which is due out later this year. IPFRA has been offering guidance and insights from our members to support the review, which is all about embedding PFR more deeply into planning, insurance, housing and resilience policy. Those doing this work, day in, day out, have an important perspective and one that can help shape policy, so being part of such discussions is essential.
Why should professionals consider becoming members of IPFRA?
Because we’re creating something that truly supports and strengthens the profession. Members will benefit from shared knowledge, updated codes of conduct, professional development and being part of a trusted network. We're here to back our members, raise the bar across the industry and promote the value of their work. If you’re in this space, IPFRA is where you belong.
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What’s next for IPFRA?
We’re focused on building our membership and expanding our policy engagement. The momentum from the launch has been fantastic; the reception at Flood & Coast was incredibly positive. Our role is to keep that momentum going and ensure PFR is recognised not just as a technical fix but as a core part of the UK’s flood resilience strategy. I’m proud to be part of something that feels genuinely important and so very timely.
Let’s hear from some of IPFRA’s founding directors:
Each founding director brings a wealth of experience and, while they all come from different parts of the sector (installation, consultancy, manufacturing, construction and strategy) they are united by a shared mission.
Each director also chairs or contributes to one of IPFRA’s specialist sub-groups, driving the association’s activity forward. We asked each for their thoughts on the formation of IPFRA:
Shelley Evans, Technical Director at JBA Consulting and Sub Group Chair for Marketing, Membership and Communications:
“Being part of IPFRA is about giving the sector a structure to grow. We need to encourage more people into PFR, support their development and provide them with a consistent benchmark. I’ve been involved in various working groups for years and this felt like the natural next step - to create something truly representative of everyone in the industry.”
Gareth Boyd, CEO of Watertight International and Sub Group Chair for Policy:
“For me, IPFRA is about creating a centre of gravity for PFR. We needed an organisation that can pull together best practice, raise awareness with government and homeowners, while supporting the long-term professionalisation of this field. It’s about building the policy case for PFR and ensuring our sector has a consistent voice in the rooms that matter. In my view, it couldn’t have come at a more critical time.”
Jo Ewart-Sear, Chair of Whitehouse Construction and Sub Group Chair for Finance:
“There’s a massive opportunity for us to help train and develop the next generation of flood resilience professionals. IPFRA gives us a platform to do that. It’s about futureproofing, both for the industry and for the homes we help are helping to protect.”
Russell Burton, MD of RAB Consultants and a member of IPFRA’s Policy & Finance Sub Group:
“We’ve worked hard as a sector to develop Codes of Practice, training pathways and solid guidance but we’ve lacked an industry body to bring it all together. IPFRA takes on that role as the custodian of quality and consistency. That’s what excites me: we now have a vehicle to help PFR become truly embedded as part of the UK’s climate resilience strategy.”
Matt Keight, Managing Director of M3 Floodtec and Sub Group Chair for Specifications and Standards:
“Everyone involved in setting up IPFRA has done so because we all fully believe in this cause. We’ve united to build a better, stronger sector for the benefit of customers, communities and the environment. I’m passionate about defining what ‘good’ looks like for our products and services and ensuring those standards are applied consistently across the so consumers can trust each and every PFR installation to perform when it matters most.”
To learn more about IPFRA or enquire about membership, visit www.ipfra.org.
This interview appeared in the July 2025 issue of Flood Industry magazine, you can view it here.