Prince William launches kit to help communities prepare for emergencies.
The Prince of Wales launched Ready Together in Ilminster, Somerset, a free online toolkit from the National Emergencies Trust that helps community groups plan for floods, wildfires and power cuts.
The Prince of Wales visited Ilminster in Somerset, England, to launch Ready Together, a National Emergencies Trust project. It is a free online toolkit meant to help communities prepare for emergencies such as floods, wildfires and disruption to essential services. Prince William is patron of the charity, and actor Ross Kemp is an ambassador.
The town has dealt with extreme weather in recent years, including floods and, more recently, wildfires. During the visit, the prince met community leaders and business owners. He also sat down with Tina Groves, 74, who is visually impaired. Floodwater entered her home nine years ago, and her neighbours helped her leave safely and repair the house afterward.
The toolkit was developed with researchers at Nottingham Trent University. Community groups, from residents' associations to sports clubs, can use it to work through eight areas of preparedness, including communications, supplies and support for vulnerable residents. Groups can identify the skills and resources already available locally, work out what they might need in a crisis and build their own emergency plan. The website offers downloadable resources and can produce a plan to share with others.
Mhairi Sharp, chief executive of the National Emergencies Trust, described the project as an evidence-backed how-to guide and also a campaign, a call to action. The advice covers more than weather. It also considers cyber attacks that could disrupt banking and prolonged power cuts that could leave communities without heating or reliable communications. Suggestions include keeping non-perishable food and some cash for essentials, which Sharp acknowledged was a "tricky message during a cost of living crisis".
Kemp said he keeps emergency supplies at home after reporting from disaster zones. He said he hoped the project could build on the way neighbours already help each other. "We have great blue lights in this country, but communities are usually the first in and the last out," he said.
The article notes that the Climate Change Committee has said the UK remains unprepared for the impacts of global heating. It also cites Our World in Data, which reports that the global death rate from disasters has fallen by more than 90% over the past century, even as the world's population grew fourfold.
At a Glance
- Ready Together is a free online toolkit from the National Emergencies Trust, launched in Ilminster, Somerset.
- The toolkit was developed with researchers at Nottingham Trent University.
- Community groups can work through eight areas of preparedness, including communications, supplies and supporting vulnerable residents.
- Prince William is patron of the National Emergencies Trust, and Ross Kemp is an ambassador.
- Our World in Data reports the global disaster death rate has fallen by more than 90% over the past century.
Sources
This brief was written by Brightside Report from the reporting linked above. Spot an error? Request a correction.