When London’s resilience leaders met in October, one message came through loud and clear: the city is entering a new era of resilience where multiple challenges are likely to happen at the same time, last longer, and place greater demands on services and communities alike.
The London Resilience Forum (LRF) brings together organisations from across London’s emergency services, local authorities, health sector, infrastructure operators, businesses, voluntary organisations and community networks to identify risks, share learning and strengthen the capital’s preparedness for future challenges.
Reflections on the past, considerations for the future
The LRF reflected on the lessons from summer 2026, which saw extreme heat, drought and wildfire activity alongside major events and ongoing service pressures. This pattern is likely to continue and future planning needs to account for multiple risks occurring at the same time and for longer periods.
The meeting looked at the Government’s review of the Civil Contingencies Act, the legislation that underpins the UK’s emergency preparedness arrangements. The LRF highlighted the growing complexity of modern emergencies, the importance of sustainable funding for resilience work, and the need to recognise the contribution made by communities, businesses and voluntary organisations alongside statutory responders.
The LRF also considered the forthcoming national “Be Ready” preparedness campaign. Members welcomed the campaign’s aim of encouraging households to take practical steps to prepare for disruption, but stressed that messages will need to be adapted for London’s diverse communities and delivered through trusted local networks. Partners emphasised the importance of ensuring that resilience communications are inclusive and accessible, particularly for people facing financial or other barriers.
Alongside these strategic discussions, the LRF received updates from the London Resilience Programme Board. Work continues to strengthen governance, improve assurance arrangements and focus effort on the risks and capabilities that matter most to London. Updates were also provided on mass evacuation and shelter planning, cyber resilience, training and exercising programmes, and the development of future risk and capability priorities.
The meeting also highlighted preparations for a number of significant anniversaries in 2027 , including Grenfell, London Bridge, Westminster Bridge and Finsbury Park. Members emphasised that any commemorative activity should be developed alongside affected communities and handled with appropriate care and sensitivity.
A shared endeavour
The overall message from the meeting was clear: resilience is increasingly a shared endeavour. Building a safer and more prepared London depends not only on emergency responders, but also on strong partnerships with communities, voluntary organisations, businesses and residents across the capital.
