Over 120 community volunteers attended the Somerset Prepared partnership annual Community Resilience Day, held at Wincanton Racecourse. It was a hugely successful day filled with informative talks, engaging workshops and equipment demonstrations, all dedicated to enhancing community resilience within Somerset.
The day was attended by many representatives from local communities and voluntary groups who were able learn from experienced speakers and experts on various aspects of preparedness, covering topics such as writing your community plan, community organisation and communication. As well as having the opportunity to engage in interactive workshops designed to foster collaboration and resilience-building strategies, and witness demonstrations that showcase innovative approaches to preparedness.
Attendees had ‘hands on’ experience of how to throw correctly, a ‘Throw’ line for people stuck in water provided by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, learned about flood warning Telemetry Schemes with the Environment Agency, and gained insights into Ilton and Kingston St Mary Community Case studies.
The event also hosted the presentations of the prestigious Community Resilience Award. In its second year, this accolade recognises exceptional individuals and community groups who had gone above and beyond to make their communities more resilient.
The Awards were presented by Lord-Lieutenant Mr Mohammed Saddiq and the winners were:
Group Winner: Kingston St Mary Good Neighbour Volunteer Scheme.
Group runner up: Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue Group
Individual Winner: Rev Deborah Perreau of Combe St Nicholas
Runners Up – Ian Upshall of Stoke St Gregory and Kate Symonds of Moorland, Fordgate and West Yeo
A huge “thank you” to everyone who attended the event and helped work towards a resilient Somerset for all.
We will be uploading resources from stallholders and presentations to this page over the coming weeks so do check back periodically for more content.
Somerset Council Civil Contingencies Unit and Avon and Somerset Police – Structure of Emergency Planning and Response in Somerset:
Conference 2023 presentation Emergency Planning in Somerset 2023
Community emergency plan presentation:
Kingston St Mary Emergency Plan
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service advice:
D&SF&RS Presentation Somerset Prepared 2023
Resources shared by FWAG South west on Natural Flood Management:
Communities Prepared information:
Communities Prepared Flyer September 2022
Resources shared by the Environment Agency about riparian responsibilities, owning watercourses, and other riverbank guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/owning-a-watercourse
https://www.wessexrt.org.uk/assets/files/GardenRiverbankGuide-EmailVersion.pdf