Community Resilience
Community resilience is defined by the Scottish Government as:
Communities and individuals harnessing resources and expertise to help themselves prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies, in a way that complements the work of the emergency responders.
Risks and Impacts to Communities
While emergencies are unpredictable, preparedness can make a huge difference in how a community responds and recovers. It is important to understand what potential risks and impacts are.
Risks to communities can include:
- severe weather – storms, rain and extreme heat
- infectious disease
- fuel shortages/power outages
- major accidents
Possible impacts following an emergency:
- loss of life
- severe injury or illness
- damage to property
- travel restrictions
- lack of supplies
Be Ready, Stay Resilient — Join Your Local Community Resilience Group
In Dumfries and Galloway, over 60 Community Resilience Groups are actively working to help their communities prepare for and respond to emergencies. These groups are made up of volunteers who give their time to support neighbours, protect local resources, and reduce disruption during a crisis.
Community Resilience Groups come in many forms — some are linked to Community Councils, others are independent or part of local organisations. What they all share is a Community Resilience Plan: a living document that captures local knowledge, contacts, and resources to help communities act quickly and effectively when it matters most.
Why have a Community Resilience Plan?
Because it helps your community:
- Understand local risks
- Consider vulnerable people and their needs
- Communicate clearly during emergencies
- Use local skills and resources wisely
Below is a template Community Resilience Plan which you can use to create your resilience plan or use it as a guide to draft your own.
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Document
Support we offer
Support is available to all Community Resilience Groups. For all community resilience enquiries please reach out via email to [email protected].
The Community Resilience Padlet is a great resource full of useful guidance notes, templates and training opportunities for community resilience groups - Community Resilience Dumfries and Galloway
For support in relation to flooding, the Flood Risk Management Team offers a property flood resilience product subsidy scheme.
Additionally, training will be offered to Community Resilience Groups Annually.
Community Resilience Recognition Scheme
In 2025, Dumfries and Galloway Council launched the Community Resilience Recognition Scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to recognise the efforts of the volunteers who help make their communities more resilient.
The scheme is tiered – bronze, silver and gold.
Groups can self-nominate or be nominated.