Ready Together
Why we were founded
After the Grenfell Tower fire and the terror attacks in London and Manchester in 2017, the Charity Commission for England and Wales recommended setting up a new organisation to help the country respond better to future emergencies.
In the aftermath, multiple separate fundraising pages appeared. That slowed support to survivors and opened the door to fraud. A group of senior disaster response professionals came together to fix it: one coordinated, transparent way to raise and share funds when survivors need them most.
The National Emergencies Trust began in November 2019 as an independent UK charity, launched by HRH, Prince William, The Prince of Wales, our Royal Patron. We were set up to raise funds when national emergencies hit, and to improve outcomes for survivors in future emergencies.
Responding during Covid
Four months after we launched, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. We responded straight away. On 18 March 2020, we opened our first emergency appeal.
The public gave generously. The Coronavirus Appeal raised almost £100 million and reached an estimated 13 million people across the UK.
Guided by survivors
Before we became a charity, we listened. We spoke with more than 100 people who knew emergencies first hand: survivors, first responders and frontline organisations. The same problems came up again and again, from Hillsborough to Grenfell. What they told us shaped how we respond.
Survivors still guide us between emergencies. Because of what they told us, we helped change the law, so people receiving charitable funds after a disaster no longer lose access to state benefits or civil legal aid. Our research with survivors has put long-standing problems on the record, and shown where they can be fixed.
Hearing from emergency survivors what could have worked better for them during the worst possible times in their lives gives us invaluable insights. Their generosity in sharing their stories means that both our charity, and the wider disaster response community in the UK, are better placed to provide the best possible care in future.
Responding to the UK’s changing risks
The risks the UK faces keep changing, so our work changes with them. We were set up for sudden national emergencies: terror attacks, severe flooding, major accidents. We now also prepare for newer threats, including cyber-attacks and wildfires.
We rehearse for them. Regular exercises, including joint simulations with government, first responders and other partners, keep us ready for emergencies we know and ones we have not faced before.
Putting new technology to work
We test new tools that could get help to survivors faster. We are looking at how technologies like large language models could build a clearer picture of who an emergency has affected, and how new tools could speed up decisions while a crisis is still unfolding. The aim is simple: less time lost, and support that fits what each survivor needs.
