Nov/Dec 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to our Winter 2025 update. We've got partner news, Somerset Prepared Resilience Day updates and our last events of the year. If you are after some resilience inspiration, some reading for these dark evenings, or are looking for practical learning opportunities then look no further. 

If you have any queries about this or any of the other features in our newsletter, please get in touch at somersetprepared@somerset.gov.uk. We welcome submissions or suggestions for future topics.

Somerset Emergency Planning, Response and Recovery team

& Somerset Prepared Partners

Late Autumn in Bruton

Flood Mary was a real hit on her visit back in September. But if you missed her don't despair. You can take a look at her website and resources online. She has produced a brand new property flood resilience directory which you can access here. This is a great guide for anyone wanting to prepare for future flood events. 

Flood Mary in Mudford with the 3 Villages Flood Group

Somerset Prepared Community Resilience Day 2025

We had a fantastic day at Taunton racecourse this year and are already using the feedback to plan for 2026. Get in touch if you have any suggestions about the location and venue, or requests for talks and workshops. If you want to relive the day or find out what you missed there is already a lot of workshop content on the Somerset Prepared website. You can take a look right here: Somerset Prepared Day 2025

One takeaway from the day was the importance of communication. Here are a couple of actions for Parish Councils to take around this topic:

- Check that your Place of Safety details are up to date with Somerset Council

- Check that your Somerset Emergency Community Contacts are correct 

Contact infoccu@somerset.gov.uk if you need any help with this. 

Building Resilience in Communities running a workshop with the 3 Villages Flood Group

Upcoming Events

Have you completed your Parish Preparedness Survey?

Thank you to those parishes who have already completed the Parish Preparedness Survey, which was distributed to Clerks or points of contact over the summer. For those who haven’t completed it, there is still time and it’s designed to be quick and easy! It’s available online at https://somersetcouncil.citizenspace.com/climate-and-environment/city-town-parish-preparedness-surv… or, if you prefer to work from a document, if you contact somersetprepared@somerset.gov.uk then we’ll be happy to send one out to you.

The Survey is to:

• Help Somerset Council to assess risk of emergencies across the county and plan accordingly – this is a statutory duty for Somerset Council under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004).

• Allow ongoing and new activities and support to be offered that support resilience and preparedness at a community level where it is most needed.

• Create an information baseline, so that we’ll can track changes over time and make sure that, as a society, we’re moving in the right direction.

A number of parishes have also taken the opportunity presented to reach out for support in any of the areas where they identified a need.

These are the headlines from responses so far and we’ll update you in a future newsletter once all responses are in:

• The biggest concerns expressed (in terms of both prevalence and severity) are Strong Winds (70%), Power Outages (69%), Access Issues caused by Accidents, Road Closures or Excessive Traffic (67%) and Flooding (63%).

• In the face of the risks they identified, parishes generally feel poorly prepared. Volunteering and the Ability To Communicate came out as relative strengths (36%), but a Lack of equipment and resources (26%) was a real concern.

• Drilling down into the detail, parishes felt their greatest asset was their Community Spirit (66%), but this was the only area that could be considered a strength.

• There were real areas of weakness expressed around Sufficient Allocation of Funding and Training For Volunteers (both 21%) as well as Equipment Use and  Prepositioning Resources before an Emergency (both 22%), but lacking registered Somerset Emergency Community Contacts (who help manage communications with a community and with the Category One responders during an emergency) was seen as the greatest deficiency (17%).

This really is an invaluable insight and helps the Somerset Prepared team plan to meet these needs, so thanks again for all the responses so far.

Partner Update: Somerset Rivers Authority

The next SRA Board meeting will be at the Somerset Council Offices at Cannards Grave, Shepton Mallet. The meeting starts 9.45am, Friday 5 December, and members of the public are welcome. Please send us any public questions you may have about matters involving the SRA by 12 noon on Monday 1 December, so we can aim to give you answers at the meeting.

Below you will also see details of our first Flood Group Network meetings. These are for flood wardens, parish and town councillors, and other community members with an interest in flooding. If you want to share knowledge and ideas to build flood resilience at catchment scale come along and help shape the future of these gatherings. 

Partner Update: British Red Cross

Be ready for anything with the Red Cross apps: take a look online to see how the first aid and emergency apps can help you. Check them out here. 

News from BT

Connected Together: Support with the Digital Switchover

 Landlines are changing and the UK’s telephone network is going digital. These changes will affect everyone who has a landline they’d like to keep using.

 We understand that change can feel overwhelming. With a little support and reassurance, we’re here to help you understand what is happening and ensure you and your loved ones stay connected without disruption.

 That’s why we’re proud to support BT’s Connected Together initiative, offering the tools, guidance and confidence to support you and your loved ones through the switch.

 What’s happening?

This is a once-in-a-generation, industry-wide upgrade to future-proof the UK’s landlines.

The analogue network that most home phones work on today is no longer fit for purpose and can't keep up with the demands of modern life. That outdated network will be switched off for all landline providers in January 2027. BT’s new home phone service is called Digital Voice.

The landline is not going away, and for most, the switch is simple. No one will be left disconnected.

Here are a few key points to be aware of:

• The switch won’t cost you a penny

• Phone numbers won’t change

• Over 99% of existing handsets are compatible with Digital Voice

• Benefit from free and helpful calling features such as 3 Way Calling, Voicemail and Call Protect to help block scam calls and notify you of any suspected nuisance calls

• For those that may need extra support, BT offers free engineer visits to make sure everything is set up correctly and working perfectly. Just make sure to confirm or book the appointment when they get in touch. They’ll take care of the rest.

• Worried about power cuts? Don’t worry. BT provides back up power solutions meaning you can still make and receive calls during outages, and it’s free for those who need it most.

• If you don’t have broadband, BT will provide a dedicated landline service allowing you to use your landline in the same way you do today. No new equipment is needed, and you won’t require a home visit from an engineer.

 We know that changes like this can raise questions or cause concern. Especially if you or a loved one uses a landline for safety, independence or day-to-day connections.

To make things easier, BT has put together a Conversation Starter Pack – a straightforward, practical guide designed to help you talk with a friend or family member about what the switch means and how you can support them. Whether it’s a quick phone call or a relaxed chat over a cup of tea, starting the conversation early can really make a difference.

By sharing this information with others, you can help make sure more people feel informed, reassured and ready for the change.

 What you can do

• Download the Conversation Starter Pack on BT’s Connected Together website for helpful advice on how to talk about the switch

• If you, or someone you know has additional needs and needs extra support making the switch, contact the landline provider. For BT customers they can register via webform on the Connected Together website or by calling the Customer Care team.   

• Talk to a friend, neighbour or family member who might benefit from early support

Start the conversation today.

Find out more at: www.bt.com/about/all-ip/connected-together or call 0330 1234 150.

Finally - take three actions to help

This spring here are three things you can do to make a difference for your community:

• Add the Red Cross First Aid app to your phone

• Attend our Riparian Responsibilities workshop in Glastonbury Town Hall on 10 November

• Talk to BT about the support your community can get around the digital switchover

Featured images 

Here at somerset prepared we like to feature somerset in all its glory! Do you have an image of Somerset you would like to share? Send your images to somersetprepared@somerset.gov.uk for a chance to be featured!