Start Here: A Practical Family Preparedness Plan

Preparedness does not have to mean panic-buying, expensive equipment or planning for the end of the world. It means making a few sensible decisions before disruption reaches your door.

Everyday Resilience is for ordinary UK families who want to feel more confident about power cuts, severe weather, flooding, illness, travel disruption and the unexpected pressures of everyday life.

Begin with your household

Before buying equipment, think about the people who depend on your plan. Consider children, older relatives, medical needs, pets, transport and how each person would cope if normal services were interrupted.

• Write down essential telephone numbers.
• Agree how your family will contact and meet one another.
• Identify anyone who may need additional help.
• Know how to turn off your water, gas and electricity safely.

Build around four essentials

A useful plan begins with four basic needs: water, food, warmth and shelter. You do not need to complete everything at once. Add one practical improvement whenever time and money allow.

Water

Store a sensible quantity of drinking water and consider how you would manage washing, cooking and sanitation during an interruption.

Food

Keep meals your household already eats. Choose items that store well, require little preparation and can be rotated through your normal weekly shop.

Warmth

Keep blankets, warm layers and safe lighting easy to reach. Think about how you would remain warm if the heating and electricity failed together.

Shelter

Check smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, understand your insurance and keep important household documents somewhere secure and accessible.

Prepare for 72 hours first

A three-day starting point makes preparedness manageable. Aim to cope at home without immediately relying on shops, power, internet access or outside help.

• Drinking water and familiar food
• Essential medication and first-aid supplies
• Torches, batteries and power banks
• A battery or wind-up radio
• Warm clothing and blankets
• Copies of important documents
• Cash in small denominations
• Supplies for babies, children and pets

Create a written family plan

Equipment is useful, but a plan tells people what to do. Record emergency contacts, meeting places, medication, school arrangements, utility shut-offs, evacuation options and what each person should take.

Review the plan every six months and after any major change in your household. Keep a printed copy because phones, cloud storage and internet services may not always be available.

Your first five actions

1. Talk to everyone in your household.
2. Write down the most important contacts.
3. Check what useful supplies you already own.
4. Add one missing item during your next shop.
5. Choose a date to review your progress.

Preparedness is not a finish line. Small, maintained steps are more valuable than an ambitious plan that is forgotten.

Make your family plan easier

The Everyday Resilience Family Preparedness Planner guides you through your household risks, contacts, supplies, evacuation arrangements and practical next steps.

View the planner on Etsy