St Andrew’s backs “be prepared” campaigns to strengthen community resilience
We’re supporting the Ready Together toolkit, the UK Government’s Be Ready campaign, and encouraging communities across Scotland to take simple steps to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.
St Andrew’s First Aid has welcomed the UK Government’s public engagement campaign, Be Ready, announced by Defence Secretary Wes Streeting.
This follows the launch in September of the National Emergencies Trust’s Ready Together toolkit, which helps communities to identify local skills, resources and support networks to respond to emergencies.
Both campaigns are urging people in Scotland to be better prepared and more vigilant, no matter what may be around the corner. We’re encouraging our own volunteers, and people across the country, to make use of the free toolkit and resources.
Chief Executive Officer of St Andrew’s First Aid, Derek Robertson, said:
“We are definitely seeing an increase in awareness raising for the public to be better prepared and ready for the uncertain times we are living in. And, of course, we welcome that. That is why we announced last month our ambition to recruit, train and support up to 50,000 volunteers to be ready to respond in their local communities and provide critical back up to our public services.
“As we all know, emergencies can happen without warning, disrupting everyday life and leaving people without the services they need, and the support they depend on. When communities aren’t prepared, those most in need can be left particularly vulnerable. We can’t always know what is coming, but we can do more now to make sure our communities are ready to support each other when it matters most.
“Of course, we do not want people to be alarmed. However, it is hard to argue against the principle of taking practical steps, so we are ready if something does occur.”
In our recent Position Statement, Responding to Uncertain Times, St Andrew’s First Aid set out our vision to expand our impact through volunteering, community engagement, education, training and initiatives that help people and communities understand risks, prepare for challenges and support one another through times of disruption.
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