About the London Resilience Equalities Partnership

Emergencies – from the COVID-19 pandemic to flooding, terror incidents, fire, or the cost-of living crisis – do not affect all communities equally. People already facing structural inequality often face the greatest harms. While the equalities organisations that support marginalised communities during crises play a vital role in promoting community wellbeing and resilience and offer valuable insights into what more inclusive responses to shocks can look like in practice, they are rarely included in official resilience planning or decision-making. We define equalities groups as organisations or collectives whose primary purpose is to support, represent, or advocate for people and communities who experience discrimination, disadvantage or exclusion linked to one or more protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. We define marginalised groups as those facing systemic inequalities, discrimination and/or violence due to an aspect of their identity.

To address this equalities gap in emergency preparedness and response, London Resilience commissioned Protection Approaches to coordinate the establishment of an Equalities Partnership within the London Resilience Forum (LRF), following a key recommendation from the 2024 Community Resilience Equalities Engagement Report, which can be found here.  

To inform how the Partnership can most effectively enable equalities groups to meaningfully engage with and influence emergency preparedness and response in London, Protection Approaches carried out consultations with 80 equalities and resilience stakeholders. These included equalities groups working with LGBTQI+ people, disabled people, young people, older people, migrants, racialised communities, and women, alongside government representatives.

The consultations generated clear insights into the specific risks and priorities facing marginalised groups during emergencies, practical routes to more inclusive preparedness and response, and the support equalities groups need to engage effectively with the London Resilience Forum.

Risks facing marginalised groups in times of emergency reported in consultation included:

• Financial precarity, leaving communities without the means to meet basic needs or weather disruption.
• Inaccessible emergency guidance and communication, with vital information often unavailable in translated, easy-read, or accessible formats.
• Deteriorating physical and mental health, driven by loss of care, isolation, and barriers to medical and social support.
• Limited access to safe shelters and spaces, where design and facilities often don’t meet the needs of disabled, migrant, and single-parent households.
• Mistrust and fear of statutory authorities, rooted in experiences of discrimination that discourage engagement or compliance during emergencies.
• Increased exposure to identity-based violence, particularly against racialised and migrant communities during moments of crisis.

These  findings will shape the focus, activities and outputs of the Equalities Partnership, to ensure it reflects the priorities, expertise and needs of equalities groups that work with marginalised populations – and to ensure it builds bridges between equalities groups and decision makers – in pursuit of more inclusive and effective approaches to emergency preparedness and response.

The Partnership is commissioned by London Resilience and operates as a collaborative, member-led body bringing together equalities groups across London to strengthen inclusion within emergency preparedness and response. It is co-chaired by two representatives from London-based equalities organisations and is coordinated by Protection Approaches. For more information on structure & governance please see the Partnership's terms of reference.

London's resilience depends on the collective efforts of many organisations, networks and initiatives, working together to ensure no community is left behind. 

The  Equalities Partnership is an independent and advisory body that  connects equalities groups directly with the London Resilience Forum  (LRF), to support and advocate for more inclusive and effective  approaches to emergency preparedness and response in London.

The  London Resilience Forum (LRF) brings together the organisations  responsible for keeping London safe and functioning during major  emergencies. It coordinates planning and response for incidents such as  terror attacks, extreme weather, public health crises, and large-scale  evacuations. The Forum includes the emergency services (such as the  Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade), organisations responsible  for critical infrastructure like transport and water, local and national  government bodies, and representatives from voluntary and community organisations. By working together in advance and during crises, the LRF  helps ensure London can respond quickly, effectively, and in a way that  meets the needs of its communities. 

The  Equalities Partnership’s advisory role to the LRF and its focus on  system change complements the work of our partners the London Communities Emergencies Partnership (LCEP) and the Faith and Belief Sector Panel, who also have advisory roles in supporting  person-centred and equitable emergency preparedness and response. 

LCEP is a network of networks, supporting partners to build trusted connections, share knowledge and insight, and strengthen preparedness. They do  this through meetings, capability projects, active communication  channels and supporting representation of voluntary and community  organisations across the London Resilience system. To learn more about  LCEP’s work or to get involved, please click here. 

The London Resilience Faith and Belief Sector Panel exists  to support preparedness and response to major emergencies with London’s  faith and belief communities. To learn more about the Faith and Belief  Sector Panel or to get involved, please click here. 

Together,  the Equalities Partnership, LCEP and the Faith and Belief Sector Panel,  work to support more inclusive and effective resilience efforts in  London.