DI Keal - the Ryedale mother who led a successful campaign for flood defences after her Norton home was inundated in both 1999 and 2000 - has got a job with the National Flood Forum.

The forum is a grass roots organisation set up in January last year to campaign for those suffering from or at risk of flooding. It claims it has put flooding on the national agenda.

Now it has recruited Di to become communications director and Mary Dhonau, of Worcester, to become community groups director. The part-time staff will aim to build relationships with local community groups in flood risk areas and to improve media and other forms of communication.

Di dealt with media liaison for the National Flood Forum's first national conference in October 2002 and hopes to continue to raise the profile of the organisation at national level.

She said: "I'm sure there must be people out there who have been or are at risk of flooding who don't know what the National Flood Forum is about, but who are in need of a helping hand to deal with their flood related problems - be it campaigning for defences, negotiating with the authorities or dealing with insurance companies. If we can raise the profile of the Forum we can hopefully reach these people and work with them."

Di will edit a National Flood Forum newsletter which will be distributed to local groups.

Updated: 08:42 Tuesday, June 17, 2003