The crucial role of volunteers in Severe Weather Emergency Support

In 2024/25, more than 13,000 people were recorded sleeping rough in London. During periods of extreme cold, The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is activated; an emergency response that provides accommodation for anyone sleeping rough during severe weather. The purpose of SWEP is to keep people safe, reduce immediate harm, and create opportunities to connect people with further support. This is triggered by the Greater London Authority for all of London when hen temperatures reach 0°C or below, with each borough responsible for putting its own arrangements in place.

The Volunteer Centre Greenwich has always worked with our local authority to provide volunteers during times of crisis, most notably during the Afghan response and the pandemic, but this support was always reactive.

We began attending the Borough Resilience Forum and in 2023 the introduction of  the Community Resilience Funding created an opportunity to strengthen this partnership. It positioned the volunteer centre as a vital link between the VCS and the local authority, helping ensure that future emergencies are met with a more coordinated and better-prepared response.

As part of this, we asked organisations to complete a survey so we could build a detailed picture of the resources, skills, and assets available, such as languages spoken and out of hours contact details that could be mobilised quickly in an emergency.

We worked to raise awareness of potential emergency risks by delivering two preparedness exercises, co-facilitated by VCG and the local authority. The first focused on a national power outage, followed by an extreme heatwave scenario. Both were designed to help organisations prepare their staff, volunteers, and clients for real-world challenges.

This work opened up a conversation with LCEP and the Red Cross about VCG providing local volunteers to support in Greenwich if and when SWEP is activated. We are now actively recruiting local residents who want to help in an emergency, ensuring they receive the training they need to be ready to step in when required.

The Royal Borough Greenwich (RGB) temporary accommodation is provided for clients with low to medium needs, while alternative arrangements are made for clients with higher risk needs.

Volunteer Centre Greenwich provides two volunteers per shift, covering 8pm to 8am, with scheduled downtime for each volunteer. Their duties include setting up rooms, taking registers, distributing food, listening and providing support if needed, and packing away at the end of the shift.

Training has been developed in conjunction with RGB to ensure it is tailored specifically to supporting low to medium need clients. To introduce this model, three information sessions have been delivered, these sessions are now our standard method for recruiting volunteers and advising members on how to get involved. They give prospective volunteers a chance to fully understand the role and organisation before applying, and allow us to meet them in person to support informed decision making.

Our first cohort of volunteers has now been recruited. They completed a training session and tour with the RGB Coordinator, who also walked them through the Warm Space handbook for the venue, ensuring they are fully prepared for their role.

• Reducing strain on city wide responders: By providing trained local volunteers, we help ease the pressure on pan-London services such as The Red Cross, ensuring they can focus on the most critical cases.

• Local residents supporting their community: Volunteers live in the communities they serve, bringing familiarity, trust, and a personal connection to those in need.

• Harnessing local knowledge for effective support: Volunteers can provide timely guidance, signposting, and information about services available in their area, helping people access the right support quickly.