Voluntary and community sector

Volunteers and community groups are part of the emergency system, not a substitute for it. The law recognises them, official guidance relies on them, and the government has been considering whether to bind responders more closely to them.

What the law requires of responders

Regulation 23 of the Contingency Planning Regulations 2005 requires a Category 1 responder, when maintaining its plans under section 2(1)(c) or (d) of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, to have regard to the activities of voluntary organisations in its area that are relevant in an emergency: preventing an emergency, reducing, controlling or mitigating its effects, or taking other action in connection with it. Regulation 3 defines a voluntary organisation as a body, other than a public or local authority, whose activities are not carried on for profit.

Section 4 of the Act and regulations 36 to 44 require local authorities in England and Wales to provide advice and assistance to voluntary organisations on continuing their activities in an emergency.

Cabinet Office guidance lists what the sector can offer: practical support such as first aid and transport, psycho-social support such as counselling and helplines, equipment, and information services.

What volunteers are asked to do

The Be Ready website, published by the Cabinet Office, tells anyone who wants to help during an emergency in their area to look out for calls for support from local community groups and the local council, and in some emergencies from national government or national voluntary organisations, and to check local radio, local television and trusted sources such as the websites and social media of the police, fire and rescue service, coastguard or council.

It also says what not to do. Do not turn up at the scene of an emergency and try to help, because emergencies are unpredictable and this could be dangerous for you and for the emergency services. If the emergency is in another part of the country, do not travel to help, because local services will be under significant pressure.

The National Risk Register 2025 says the same. People often feel compelled to help, and members of the public can rally skills and resources for their community, but it is best to get involved through the structures established in the local area, looking out for calls for support from a local authority or from national and local charities, and above all performing acts of good neighbourliness.

A stronger duty considered

The UK Government Resilience Action Plan 2026 Implementation Report records that in July 2025 the government launched a consultation on an enhanced statutory duty on Category 1 responders to establish and maintain partnerships with the voluntary, community and faith sector. The response, published in December 2025, committed to further analysis and to considering non-statutory options. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport was due to publish a Civil Society Response Protocol in summer 2026 setting expectations for how departments work with the sector. The same department is awarding up to £2.5 million through a Civil Society Resilience Infrastructure Fund in England, to be delivered between October 2026 and March 2029.

National organisations

Communities Prepared is a Groundwork South project that supports communities nationwide to grow their resilience. It offers free training, support and discussion sessions to community members, volunteer coordinators and professionals, covering emergencies from flooding and severe weather to pandemics. Its listed partners include the Environment Agency, the British Red Cross, the Met Office and the National Lottery Community Fund.

The British Red Cross says it responds to an average of four crises a day across the UK. Its preparedness pages explain household preparation for 72 hours, offer free community workshops on topics such as first aid and flood preparation, and recruit emergency response volunteers in local areas.

Both are places to start for anyone who wants to help before an emergency rather than during one. The local resilience forum for an area is the statutory partnership those groups work alongside.