Community resilience
Helping young people become better prepared
Encouraging children and young people to think about how to prepare, plan for and respond to emergencies can help build more resilient communities.
By educating and training children about emergency preparedness, they can pass on the knowledge to family and friends, and use the skills they learn to help support their communities during a crisis.
The Duke of Cornwall Community Safety Awards
Duke of Cornwall Community Safety Award
Become a 'hero' in your community
The Duke of Cornwall Community Safety Award scheme helps young people learn what to do in a range of emergency situations, such as severe weather, flooding, a pandemic or a long term power cut, and broadens their knowledge and awareness of emergency response and community resilience.
Become a ‘hero’ in your community by taking part in the Duke of Cornwall Community Safety Awards and learn how to carry out worth-while, or ‘heroic’, activities, such as:
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Planning how you and your family will get out of your home safely in an emergency
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Practising your family emergency escape plans with your family
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Planning out what you would put in an emergency grab bag
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Showing your family how to put together an emergency grab bag
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Explaining to your parents and relatives how important it is to plan for emergencies
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Thinking about what extra help other people in your community might need in an emergency
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Reminding your family to check on older family members and neighbours to ensure they are safe and well.
Who can take part?
The award scheme is free to access and is open to young people in the UK between the ages of 5 and 18 years.
The scheme can be adopted by:
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youth organisations
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schools
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college
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or as an individuals
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or group
What are the benefits?
As well as educating themselves, young people must actively involve their parents, guardian or youth leader at each level to achieve the awards. For example:
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Children work with their parents to prepare a household grab bag for the Community Safety Home Award
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Older children write a home emergency plan with the help of their family for the Community Safety Home Award
As a consequence of this engagement and by creating this network of fun and practical learning through young people, the key safety messages hit home with people across the generations.
Youth groups can also equip themselves with the skills and knowledge to support local communities during or after an incident.
Youth workers who have delivered the programme have given positive feedback about the programme.
Background
The scheme was developed in 2010 by Cornwall Council in response to significant flooding in Cornwall and was ratified and accredited by the Duke of Cornwall at that time, HRH Prince Charles, who has since become HM King Charles III . It was taken up by many youth organisations in the county and has since been adopted in other areas of the UK, including Kent and Medway.
Find out more background information about the award visit Cornwall Council’s web pages by clicking here.
Course materials
There are three types of Duke of Cornwall Community Safety Awards for different age groups which can be downloaded here:
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The Home Award for 5 to 10 year olds
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The Neighbourhood Award for 10 to 15 year olds.
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The Community Award for 13 to 18 year olds
All the information you need to complete the required tasks can be found on the pages of this website - Kent and Medway Prepared.
Receive your award certificate (Kent and Medway)
If you live in Kent or Medway please contact the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum to let us know when you have completed the award and to receive your award certificate(s). Email us at KRFCommunityResilience@kent.fire-uk.org
Help to promote the Duke of Cornwall Community Safety Awards in your community
Posters
Help raise awareness of the Duke of Cornwall safety awards by displaying promotional posters in your local community.
You can down load our posters and print at home be clicking on the images below:
