Volunteers Needed: Could this be you?

When: Wednesday 13th September 2023, 10:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Police and Fire HQ in Portishead

and

When: Monday 25th September 2023, 10:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Flourish House in Wells

Faith Communities Major Emergency Plan

 

Andy Paget who is Senior Chaplain to the Avon & Somerset Police, together with his colleague Adrian Prior-Sankey, coordinates Avon & Somerset’s multi-faith response to major emergencies. Last autumn MEP teams responded, with other statutory and voluntary agencies, to the Twinnell and Eccleston House fires and the Ashcott explosion by giving unconditional support to evacuees.

The MEP relies on volunteers from the faith communities to help during such incidents and membership of the plan is open to faith community leaders and their nominees. Volunteers offer a listening ear and no-strings support to those of any faith or none during a critical incident.

During the last 10 days Adrian and Andy have been on standby to respond to three major incidents that happily were resolved without the need to deploy a team. The MEP’s last mega deployment was in 2013/14 when more than 600 homes and 16 farms were evacuated on the Somerset Levels. Local volunteers were deployed in the first instance but, because long term support was needed, team members were drawn in from a wider area. Volunteers are under no obligation to respond to a particular incident and it’s understood that their involvement will depend on their availability at the time.

Adrian & Andy will be running their next familiarisation training days in September at the Police & Fire HQ in Portishead on Wednesday 13th and at Flourish House in Wells on Monday 25th. It will be the same event at each venue. The training runs from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Lunch is provided and there is no obligation to sign up at the end of the day.

Allie White at the Bath & Wells Diocese administers these events on behalf of the MEP. Any who would like to attend are invited to text Andy with their contact information—name, phone number, email address, faith affiliation—on 07919 401777. Andy will then forward these to Allie who’ll then send a formal invitation with further info and registration details.