Successful workshop to support creating resilient communities

Around 100 dedicated East Lothian volunteers came together to discuss how to make their community more resilient at a special workshop organised by our Emergency Planning and Resilience team.  The attendees included Community Councils, Tenants and Residents Associations, Schools, Parent Councils, Church groups and Connected Communities.

Shared experiences

The Resilient Communities Workshop was organised to explore what this idea means in practice, how local areas can become more resilient and what we can learn from elsewhere. Elected members and council management team members attended to host round-table discussions giving plenty of opportunity for people to share their own experiences.

With weather-related challenges fresh in everyone’s mind from Storm Eowyn, attendees heard presentations from the Met Office on climate change, recent storms and training opportunities. Our Sustainability and Climate Change Officer Cheyne Hamm and Tess Humble from the East Lothian Climate Hub discussed adaptation for communities and the work of the East Lothian Climate Hub while Scottish Government officer Kerry Jardine presented on the body’s Resilient Communities work and Katie Bartholomew from its Domestic Climate Change division highlighted how scientific behaviour change models can be used to shape a positive response around community resilience and action.

Inspiring stories 

Jemma Landells, a business owner from Scottish Borders, inspired the audience with her experiences establishing the Eyemouth Response Team which provides vital support to its community during emergencies. As a former chair of Eyemouth Town Council and a proud mum and grandma, Jemma’s story of feeling compelled to help make her town a better and safer place resonated with the attendees, who included many community councils and local groups.

SPEN, Red Cross, SGN, Police Scotland, Salvation Army, Scottish Flood Forum, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Tyne and Esk Community Development and Raynet attended and were available for informal discussions around resources and support available from their organisations for ongoing resilience work.

Scott Kennedy Team Manager – Emergency Planning and Resilience was delighted with how the day went. He said: “It was very encouraging to see so many people from our communities attend our first Resilient Community Workshop since 2019 which provided a great opportunity to share best practice, network and to achieve collaborative learning from the variety of presentations on the day. It is now important that the Emergency Planning and Resilience team build on the positive outcomes and enthusiasm of the day and work with the attendees to continue to establish resilient community groups throughout East Lothian."