Sussex Green Living: Are you emergency ready?

Horsham Eco Churches met at Sussex Green Hub last week and discussed the Government’s recently launched Be Ready campaign. In other countries such as France, Ireland and The Netherlands, being ready for emergencies has been a normal part of everyday life for years.  

Be Ready is the first stage of the UK Government’s three-year campaign, to help households feel better prepared for events such as storms or heatwaves, which can disrupt services including power, water, phones and the internet.  

Eligible people can be helped to sign up online with their postcode, for the free Priority Services Register, https://thepsr.co.uk and receive extra support if they are ever without their electricity, gas or water supply. 

Households are being encouraged to take a few simple steps to stay prepared, if everyday services are temporarily disrupted. Being ready for 3 days helps you manage while support reaches those most in need. You could check what you already have and build up your readiness gradually step by step, picking up an extra item or two when you can. Be Ready recommends that households build up three days’ worth of supplies, from bottled water and non-perishable food to hand sanitiser and wet wipes.  

Those who live in rural areas said that they are used to being without power for a few days and neighbours help each other. We agreed that it is good to have an easy to find torch by your bed and in main rooms, a battery powered wind-up FM radio, an emergency lantern, a charged power bank to recharge phones, spare batteries and a manual or battery powered can opener. Push button battery wall lights can be useful as night lights and during power cuts. To turn an emergency into a fun experience, cosy blankets, warm clothes, some tasty treats, cards and other games to play, are some more good ideas for Christmas presents to help you and your family to be ready!  

Dan Jarvis MP, Security Minister, said: “By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency.” 

Being prepared can help you and your family stay safe and comfortable, while emergency services focus on those most in need. 

Horsham Eco Churches are working with Sussex Resilience Forum, Sussex Green Living and others, exploring how we can help our communities to be more prepared and support our emergency services.  

 Visit the Be Ready website for more information and advice: https://beready.campaign.gov.uk  

 Guest writer Karen Park, Horsham Eco Churches