Community Resilience Training Programme
Many people think of climate change as something that will affect people far from here in a future that we will never see. In fact, climate change is already having an impact on the lives of may people in the UK and will continue to do so over coming years. The increase in extreme weather events across the UK, resulting in heat waves, heavy rainfall, storms and flooding are already having significant social, economic and infrastructural impacts on many of our communities.
The 2009 report ‘Differential Social Impacts of Climate Change in the UK’ (SNIFFER) indicates that those who are most likely to be affected by such events are people ‘who are already deprived by health, level of income, the quality of their homes and mobility’ and ‘people who lack awareness of the risks of climate change, the capacity to adapt and who are less supported by friends and agencies’. This report recommends the building of social resilience and adaptive capacity and identifies the voluntary sector as key in supporting community led adaptation.
The Scottish Government consultation document ‘Preparing for a Changing Climate’ (2009), recognises the role that voluntary organisations have in supporting the Scottish communities to develop resilience to the impacts of climate change: ‘The Third sector is often best placed to connect with individuals that the public sector finds hardest to reach, working with the most vulnerable in our society – those who may struggle the most in the face of extreme weather events or changing climate. The Third sector also provides a valuable public service in helping protect our natural environment.’
With 50 years experience of supporting communities to bring about positive change BTCV are well placed to develop the social resilience and adaptive capacity of communities. For many years BTCV Scotland has been involved in developing networks of volunteers to work within their local community; in 2009 we have trained 50 Community Mentors through our Sustainable Communities Mentorship Programme, providing participants with the confidence and skills to raise awareness, develop and lead Sustainable Action projects within their own communities across Scotland.
