30days30waysUK.org.uk is a professional volunteer network with one common purpose: to raise awareness and capacities for emergency preparedness and community resilience. Preparedness concerns us all at all levels. No one is ever alone in an emergency and everyone can play their part by being informed, prepared and knowing where to access and give help. A little personal preparedness can go quite a long way towards community resilience. Informed and prepared individuals make resilient communities. This has yet again been demonstrated during these difficult COVID-19 times where so many have done and given so much. However, there are other risks.
Since 2015, the hashtag #30days30waysUK runs every year during ‘September is Preparedness Month’ across social media with daily topics sharing stories, tips and resources about all kinds of hazards and how to take action. Quite simply, we discuss over 30 days how everyone can be better informed and prepared in 30 different ways.
A little personal preparedness can go quite a long way towards community resilience.
Everyone is welcome to participate by following the hashtag and key social media accounts such as @30days30waysUK. Now in its 6th year and gaining ever wider support, #30days30waysUK can get quite busy. Therefore, those that wish to simply access the shared core resources can subscribe to receive the free campaign email via 30days30waysUK.org.uk/subscribe.
So, what is in store for #30days30waysUK 2020 and how is the campaign different from previous years?
2020 is a very special and important year! With COVID-19 now a daily reality and compounding other hazards, the concept of preparedness has acutely gained in relevance and urgency. We adopt the UN definition:
The knowledge and capacities of governments, professional response and recovery organisations, communities, and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events or conditions. For instance, installing early warning systems, identifying evacuation routes, and preparing emergency supplies.
In other words: preparedness concerns us all and we hugely look forward to exploring many personal and community preparedness aspects during September.
With COVID-19 now a daily reality and compounding other hazards, the concept of preparedness has acutely gained in relevance and urgency.
As in previous years, the campaign takes a positive, motivating and gamified approach #BePreparedNotScared. The use of memes and cartoons helps break down cultural and language barriers and the free BINGO makes keeping track of the campaign fun and with a sense of achievement: all 30 days completed and crossed off – BINGO! Access it via 30days30waysUK.org.uk/join.
New this year is a full 10-day count-down to gather momentum and reach wide audiences and there will be a full introductory day. Without giving too much away, we can reveal that this year there are a good number of brand-new never before discussed preparedness topics while those that have followed us for some years will recognise old favourites and particularly pertinent themes. However, content and partners vary so there is always something new and interesting to learn. Some themes are ‘fixed’ in the sense that they tap into international contexts such as the International First Aid Day on 21st September.
For more information and to join visit 30days30waysUK.org.uk, like and follow Twitter and Facebook @30days30waysUK
