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LCEP – December 2023 Quarterly Meeting

15 Dec 2023 Henry Farman

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On Wednesday 6th December we held the LCEP December 2023 quarterly meeting – our last network call of the year. A big thank you to everyone who participated in the call, it was great to see representatives from not only charities and community groups but also faith, statutory and public sectors. With over 41 partners in attendance, the call focused on emergency preparedness, community safety initiatives, and the impact of global events on Londoners.

I started in my role in March of this year, and as the Partnership Manager for the London Communities Emergencies Partnership (LCEP) I have spent much of the year making connections and building relationships with our partners as well as helping them to connect with each other. It was great to see these relationships develop further during our call, with great discussions, information sharing and presentations from the London Boroughs Faith Network, Tower Hamlets Local Authority, Homeless Link, and the Met Police.

If you were unable to attend the meeting, take a look below at the presentations and resources shared throughout the meeting. We look forward to connecting with more of you next year, and if there is anything which you would find useful for us to cover in our future meetings, please do let us know!

Emily Coatham,

LCEP Partnership Manager.

Steve Miller – London Boroughs Faith Network

Global events, like the Israel-Gaza situation, significantly impact London's communities, especially in the context of faith and belief sectors. Major global events often trigger notable responses within local communities. The voluntary and resilience sectors should actively address the local impacts of global events; ignoring them is not an option due to their significant local repercussions. Encourages capturing and sharing good practices and positive activities undertaken by organisations in response to global events, fostering a collective learning environment.

Steve talks about how the situation in Israel/Gaza has significant impacts on London communities. This is something that holds true for many major global events. The voluntary and resilience sectors therefore must address these local impacts.

Resources:

Callum Campbell – London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Conducted an Emergency Centre exercise to assess Tower Hamlets' preparedness/response to displacement scenarios. The exercise focused on evaluating the inclusivity and accessibility of the emergency response, accommodating people with additional support needs including mobility, cultural and dietary requirements. The exercise involved a mix of Tower Hamlets staff, volunteers, and representatives from voluntary, faith, and private sectors; indicating a wide-ranging community involvement.

Callum previously conducted an Emergency Centre exercise in Tower Hamlets. It tested the inclusivity and accessibility of the emergency response. See the video to find out what they learned.

Resources

Chris Dutton – Homeless Link

SWEP is a humanitarian response activated during severe weather conditions to provide urgent assistance to homeless individuals, especially during extreme cold. SWEP's activation is contingent on specific weather criteria and involves multi-agency coordination led by local authorities. There is a critical need for advance planning and effective collaboration among various agencies and organisations for successful SWEP implementation. Offers assistance in connecting voluntary sector organisations with local authorities for better coordination and implementation of SWEP activities. Strategies for providing temporary accommodation range from single occupancy options to communal spaces, based on availability and individual needs. Highlights the importance of efforts to find longer-term housing solutions for individuals assisted under SWEP.

Chris talks about the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP), which provides assistance to homeless individuals in extreme weather. Such assistance includes temporary accommodation. He stresses that collaboration is crucial for SWEP to be effectively implemented, and highlights the importance of finding long-term accommodation for those assisted by SWEP.

Resources

Other Business

Emily Coatham – London Communities Emergencies Partnership

A collaborative effort with the GLA and key organisations, focusing on preparing for the challenges of the winter season. Presentations from major emergency response and service organisations like London Fire Brigade, UK Power Networks, Met Office, Environment Agency, Greater London Authority, and UK Health Security Agency; each highlighting resources available to address potential winter challenges. The well-attended meeting underscored the importance of community-wide engagement in preparing for and mitigating potential winter-related emergencies.

Emily talked about the recent Winter Preparedness Workshop, which focused on preparing for the challenges of winter. There were presentations from major organisations, such as the Met Office, Environment Agency, the Greater London Authority, and more.

Resources

Laura May – London Plus

Proposes creating videos to clarify and demystify the concept of community resilience. Aims to make community resilience more accessible and understandable to the public; breaking down jargon and acronyms. Videos to showcase the significance of the LCEP partnership’s work and its impact on communities. Invites collaboration and participation from LCEP partners, offering an opportunity for diverse contributions and perspectives in the creation of these videos.

Laura discussed the idea of creating videos to clarify and demystify the concept of community resilience. She invited collaboration and participation from LCEP members.

Resources

The Felix Project

The Felix Project Call to Action: Seeking partners who haven’t already registered with us, who would be interested in receiving food to distribute on 23rd and 24th December; especially for those who can operate on the weekend. Requirements for Receiving Food: Ability to handle a vanload of Felix food (about 900 kilos of food - sufficient for 200 families) and to distribute to families as quickly as possible. Coronation Fund Partnership: Are you interested in hosting a 40ft container freezer to enable more frozen food to be offered in your local area? The freezer requires three-phase electricity due to its continuous operation.

Partners were asked to register with The Felix Project to receive food to distribute throughout London (December 23-24).

Resources

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Thank you for taking a look at the LCEP December 2023 quarterly meeting highlights, we hope you found this information useful.

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