The Lancashire Resilience Forum has launched a toolkit to be used by primary school teachers across the county to help youngsters prepare for emergencies.

 The Schools Community Resilience Project (SCRP), endorsed by the University of Wolverhampton, aims to equip children and their families with the tools and strategies to cope if disaster strikes and at the same time enhance self-resilience within Lancashire’s communities.

 This comprehensive, fun and flexible pack includes six practical and effective sessions, complete with full lesson plans and resources, aimed at school pupils in years 3-6; primarily Year 5.

 The “off-the-shelf” design also allows teachers to tailor-make sessions to suit various ages and groups using the time, space and support available.

 The pack has been successfully used by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council in partnership with Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and is now being expanded so it can be used by all schools in Lancashire – although the general nature of its content means it could be used by primary schools and youth groups across the UK.

 The pack is available to download for free at: https://www.lancashireprepared.org.uk/protect-your-community/schools-community-resilience-project

 The need for such a resource was identified by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Civil Contingencies Manager, Sarah Riley, who created the original pack following research for her PGCert qualification.

 Her studies found a need for schools to play a role in emergency preparedness and be equipped with necessary resources - specifically lesson plans devised by multi-agency representatives, covering an array of emergency-related topics.

 Sarah said:  “I originally I linked in closely with Rossanna Briggs Emergency Planning from Essex who had a successful project running ‘What If’ which was similar to what our vision was for Blackburn with Darwen.

 “We recognised that given all the cutbacks at the time across emergency services that this was an excellent tool to offer to schools to help support pupils to become self resilient and encourage their parents to think about the potential emergencies situation they could find themselves in and be better equipped when faced with challenging situations.

 “With the support and coordination now available through the LRF, I’m confident this will be an invaluable asset for schools and youth groups across the county. I hope, as before, that it continues to grow, gain national recognition as an example of good practice, and pave the way for future development into secondary schools.”

 She added: “I’d like to express my sincere thanks to colleagues across the Lancashire Resilience Forum and Blackburn with Darwen for their hard work in bringing this refreshed resource to life. This toolkit builds on the original vision we developed after working with Essex’s successful ‘What If’ project, and it remains a powerful way to help children develop confidence, self‑resilience and spark important conversations at home.

 Deputy Director for Education at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Michelle Holt, said: “We are incredibly proud that the original Schools Community Resilience Project developed here in Blackburn with Darwen has now evolved into a county-wide resource through the Lancashire Resilience Forum. This toolkit is a testament to the power of local innovation and multi-agency collaboration.

 “Equipping children with the knowledge, skills and confidence to respond to emergency situations is not only a matter of safety - it’s about building resilience in our communities from the ground up. The toolkit offers a flexible, engaging and evidence-based approach to teaching these vital skills, and we are delighted to see it being made available to schools across Lancashire.

 “This resource supports the PSHE curriculum, promotes critical thinking, and helps children understand their role in keeping themselves and others safe. In an increasingly complex world, resilience is a key life skill - and this toolkit helps embed it early.”

 Liz Riding, Chair of the Lancashire Resilience Forum’s Warning and Informing Group, said: “The LRF’s priority is making sure residents in Lancashire have the right information to help them plan, prepare and respond to risks and emergencies should they arise - and this of course includes our children.

 “If we teach them, and their families, how to be better prepared to respond to, and recover from an emergency, then they are much better equipped to manage the immediate aftermath and the longer-term recovery phase.

“The project is an excellent example of the resources we are able to create through collaborative, multi-agency partnership work. We believe community resilience to be an essential part of the primary school curriculum and would encourage all schools to make use of this toolkit.”