Worryingly, only a third (36%) of Brits are confident that the government would support them to recover and rebuild after a crisis, and over half (52%) don’t trust the government to be transparent about what it is doing during a crisis, according to new data.
Furthermore, the research shows that while 70% of Brits believe it’s important to have a plan for future crises, such as a fire, flood, pandemic, or terrorist attack, over four in ten (43%) are worried about their levels of preparedness.
Over half (52%) say they would benefit from training or guidance on how to handle a crisis, signalling strong public appetite for practical support and education, and just 42% know where to find effective crisis advice.
In a demonstration of community spirit, 51% think their communities come together in challenging times, and almost three quarters (73%) said they would be willing to support their neighbours or local community in times of crisis. Yet only 47% say they know how to offer that support.
Helen Goulden OBE, CEO at The Young Foundation commented: “The UK population is underprepared for the crises we face, and many people feel under-supported by government in the aftermath. Given recent history shows us that – in the face of pandemics, fires and floods – it’s civil society that carries the heaviest burden in crisis response and recovery. Sadly, despite that, it is also civil society that receives the least recognition and investment. This new data shows that we must invest in grassroots resilience, working to rebuild public confidence through transparent and coordinated action.”
The research has been undertaken to support The Young Foundation’s recent report, Community, not catastrophe, which examines how people, communities and voluntary organisations consistently step up during crises – from the Covid-19 pandemic to floods, terrorist attacks, and civil unrest. It finds that these responses aren’t ‘nice to have’ but essential for effective crisis management, particularly for protecting vulnerable and marginalised communities who face disproportionate impacts of disasters. The report was funded by Local Trust and supported by the VCS Emergencies Partnership.
Among the report’s key findings and recommendations:
Current levels of awareness and understanding of ‘preparedness’ are low. The UK needs to ensure that everyone has the information and skills to keep safe in a crisis.
- A dedicated initiative is needed to trial and test community-led approaches to building preparedness for crisis, testing ‘what works’ for every UK citizen.
- Consistent and sustained national messaging about preparedness should be channelled through local, trusted networks and accompanied by practical, local support. Information on the .gov website alone will not increase the level of preparedness in our communities and households
- ‘Exercises’ to increase resilience should be designed and delivered with communities, building confidence and skills.
- Better evidence and data – including an annual National Preparedness Index – should be central to the design of contingency plans and activities.
- The UK needs local civil resilience infrastructure, with clearly identified spaces for public access to information, training and safety.
- Local Resilience Forums should be accountable, with deeper investment in Emergency Contact Hubs, to build public awareness, community leadership, training, and education to scale preparedness skills within our communities.
Julie Earp, Ilminster’s Town Clerk, and William Lucy, a community organiser with the Ilminster Area Resilience Group (IARG), said: “Our work here on the ground in Somerset has made it clear that engaging and mobilising local people is vital when responding to incidents such as flooding. Local knowledge and lessons from past emergencies are essential for delivering efficient and effective responses. The Young Foundation’s data is an accurate reflection of what we see here – but luckily Ilminster people, if they can, have been willing to support their neighbours and local community in times of crisis, especially when you take away the perceived politics and red tape. IARG has hopefully given them that structure and, overall, that’s both helpful and heartening.”
The Resilience Action Plan ‘highlights a gap between awareness and action’
Goulden adds, “It’s heartening to see that the Resilience Action Plan recognises the need for much wider partnership between government, and the voluntary, community and faith sectors. However, the continued reliance on www.gov.uk/prepare as the primary tool for household preparedness highlights a persistent gap between awareness and action. Bridging that gap requires more proactive, community-based support from Local Resilience Forums and the voluntary sector. In this area there is real potential for innovation and opportunities to find new ways of reaching those for whom crisis preparedness is just not a primary concern. Additionally, the top-down approach to resilience exercises needs to shift towards grassroots-led initiatives. Identifying, supporting, and learning from community-led exercising efforts would be an invaluable next step, and we hope the government is open to listening and working with communities to drive real change forward.”
Community, not catastrophe, can be downloaded from www.youngfoundation.org/our-work/publications/community-not-catastrophe
Methodology
Opinium research, on behalf of The Young Foundation, surveyed 2,000 UK adults weighted to be nationally representative. Research undertaken 21 – 25 April 2025.
Community needs and priorities Systems change community response crisis preparedness crisis recovery crisis response resilience action plan Posted on: 22 July 2025