The Government has urged all UK households to gather nine essential items for an emergency first-aid kit as part of its new Be Ready campaign. The initiative encourages people to take simple steps to prepare themselves in case everyday services are temporarily disrupted.
The campaign, launched last month, is the first stage of a three-year effort to help households across the UK feel better prepared for events such as severe weather, which can affect services including power, water, phones, and the internet.
Be Ready campaign urges three-day preparation
In its plan, the Government is urging people to be prepared for three days by gathering enough food and water for the whole household for 72 hours, as well as hygiene products, essential medication, torches, and power banks, among others.
The Government has published a 'Be Ready' checklist, which can be found and downloaded on the gov.uk website, or people can create their own emergency checklist using the template.
Five steps to get organised
Assuring everyone that it is easy to start getting organised, the Government has urged people to take the following five steps:
- See what you already have: Check your cupboards first to see what essentials you already keep at home
- Plan for your household: Note down what you still need, remembering items your family relies on, such as medical supplies, baby formula or pet food
- Build it gradually: Pick up missing items when you can during your regular shopping trips to help spread the cost
- Check it regularly: Set a reminder every six months to check expiry dates and swap out items that need replacing, or update your kit if your household’s needs have changed
- Connect with your community: Talk to your neighbours about what extra support you might be able to share during an outage, and swap contact details
Nine items for your first-aid kit
The Government has advised that the following nine items should be included in your emergency first-aid kit: waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash solution, sterile dressings and gloves, medical tape for dressings, and tweezers.
