Community Resilience Summary
Benefits
We know that the future holds some big challenges, including a changing climate and a decreasing supply of resources, such as oil. In response to this, the Bath and North East Somerset Local Strategic Partnership’s Sustainable Community Strategy (20092026), contains a commitment to ensure that:
The CRC network will draw on local knowledge to make us better prepared for future changes. By establishing mechanisms for CRCs to communicate with emergency services, we can target services to areas of greatest need. In addition, it is hoped that the CRC network will help strengthen relationships and organisations within communities.
‘Plans are in place to manage the unavoidable impact of climate change and peak oil, and make sure our homes, business, public services and the natural environment are safeguarded’.
Addressing these challenges, and exploiting the opportunities of the shift to a low carbon society, will require us to work together as communities.
What it involves More frequent, extreme weather events are predicted, coupled with fuel supply disruption. We need to ensure that our homes, neighbourhoods and businesses are resilient to these threats. This means all of us taking responsibility and working together. Below are two ways in which we will do this: Community Resilience Champions: A network of Community Resilience Champions (CRCs) will be developed as a key pillar of our community resilience strategy. We need public-spirited volunteers within each community to help spread messages of resilience and self reliance and to play a key coordination role when emergencies arise.
Next Steps We are now looking for volunteers to become CRCs. The Council’s Business Continuity & Emergency Planning team, working with other Council departments and partner organisations, will support the CRCs. We will: • • •
Provide training, advice & guidance for volunteers Ensure the work of volunteers is properly coordinated with the emergency services and insured Collate Community Resilience plans and promote best practice
For more information please contact: Richard Look Email: Richard_look@bathnes.gov.uk Tel: 01225 477614
If you are interested in becoming a Community Resilience Champion or would like more information on this developing scheme, please see contact details. Partnership Working: We will be working across services and with our partners to ensure that messages about what is needed to increase community resilience are reinforced at every opportunity, e.g. through neighbourhood watch schemes or fire safety inspection.
Embedding environmental sustainability Making Bath & North East Somerset an even better place to live, work and visit