Campaign to keep Leicestershire people safe in severe heatwave

With temperatures potentially reaching up to 39°C in this area, the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) is providing advice and free webinars.

There is particular concern for young people, following a recent spate of water-related deaths during hot weather, and for older or more vulnerable people, who are less able to cope in the heat.

Alice Moorcroft-Hughes, delivery manager for the programme, said: “We all love the idea of sunny days but, in fact, extreme heat can pose real risks for a lot of people, including the young – who may be tempted to take risks in open water – and older or more vulnerable people who are less able to cope in such hot conditions.

“By joining forces with other people in our communities, we can help to look out for each other, including at-risk groups, and stay safe.

"One way to do this is by creating a Community Response Plan so you can be better prepared and act faster in an emergency.”

Basic advice during extreme heat is to

**It’s not safe to swim in open water. Go to a local swimming pool instead. If someone gets into trouble in open water, call 999 and tell them to ‘float to live’ by lying on their back.

**Stay cool indoors, especially during the hottest hours of 11am to 3pm, and keep hydrated.

**Check on older or more vulnerable friends, neighbours and relatives.

People can sign up now for a free webinar to help them be ‘risk ready’ and create (or refresh) their own Community Response Plan for hazards including extreme heat.

These are available on Wednesday July 1, 2pm to 3:30pm and repeated the following day, 6:30pm to 8pm.

All webinars, workshops and resources are free and open to everyone, including residents, community groups, businesses, local councils, faith groups and anyone else living or working in LLR.

Go to www.llrresilienceforum.org.uk/risk-ready-communities to find out more and sign up for a webinar.