Somerset visit to see William launch emergency scheme 2026

Key Points

• Prince William is to visit the town of Ilminster in Somerset on Tuesday to officially launch Ready Together – an initiative by the National Emergencies Trust.
• The initiative is meant to provide communities across the country with advice on how to prepare for and deal with emergencies.
• The Prince of Wales will interact with members of the community who work on resilience locally, including residents, volunteers, businesses and first responders.
• During his visit, he will work alongside volunteers and young people on a training exercise centered around various emergency scenarios.
• The visit will be punctuated by a meeting with the Ilminster Resilience Group that has helped the locals deal with heavy flooding.
• He will then visit Sweet Surprise, a cafe that gives adults with learning disabilities chances to participate in the community.
• Finally, the prince will end his visit at Ilminster Fire Station, where he will learn about the tools used to predict wildfires.
• According to Kensington Palace, the initiative hopes to turn the goodwill of people during emergencies into “practical preparedness.”

Wales (Wales Times) October 3, 2026 – Prince William Ready Together Somerset will be the focus of a planned visit by the Prince of Wales to Ilminster on Tuesday, when he is due to launch a new UK-wide initiative designed to help communities prepare for emergencies and extreme weather. The programme, called Ready Together, is being delivered by the National Emergencies Trust, of which William is patron.

As reported by ITV News, the visit will examine how residents, volunteer groups, businesses and emergency services are working together in Somerset to respond to threats including flooding and wildfires. The engagement is set to include practical demonstrations, meetings with local organisations and discussions about emergency planning at community level.

The Independent, carrying a report from PA Media, also said Ready Together will offer practical guidance to communities across the UK on how to prepare for and respond when emergencies occur. The project is being launched during a visit centred on local preparedness work in and around Ilminster.

What is Ready Together?

Ready Together is a National Emergencies Trust project intended to help communities develop practical approaches to emergency preparedness and response. The initiative is being launched by Prince William in his role as patron of the trust.

According to ITV News and The Independent, the programme is designed to address a gap between people’s willingness to assist their neighbours during emergencies and the availability of established local structures or plans through which they can act.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “Research has shown that people are very willing to help in an emergency, including to support their neighbours during a crisis.”

The spokesman added: “At the same time, far fewer feel their communities have the structures and plans in place to respond effectively.”

Kensington Palace said the purpose of Ready Together is to “bridge that gap by turning goodwill into practical preparedness”.

Why is Prince William visiting Ilminster?

Prince William is due to travel to Ilminster to see first-hand how different parts of the community work together in preparing for emergencies. The programme will bring together people involved in voluntary action, community resilience, business activity and emergency response.

Flooding and wildfires are among the risks expected to be discussed during the visit. ITV News reported that the prince will learn how local partners respond to those threats and prepare communities for potential incidents.

Somerset has an established network of resilience and preparedness activity. Somerset Prepared, a multi-agency partnership involving bodies including Somerset Council, Somerset Rivers Authority and the Environment Agency, provides advice, support and training aimed at helping communities strengthen emergency resilience.

The partnership’s resources encourage residents and communities to consider emergency plans, training and practical preparations. Somerset Council also advises residents to keep a home emergency pack and prepare an evacuation checklist in case they are told to leave their homes.

What will happen during the training exercise?

The Prince of Wales will join volunteers and young people taking part in a training exercise involving a series of emergency scenarios. The reports do not specify the individual scenarios that will be used during the exercise.

The planned activity will demonstrate how volunteers and younger participants can take part in local preparedness activity. It forms part of the launch event for Ready Together and is intended to show the role communities can play before and during an emergency.

The inclusion of young people aligns with resilience work already being promoted in Somerset. The Somerset Prepared Community Resilience Day in October has identified “young people and resilience” as its theme, with workshops, networking and equipment demonstrations planned to support local emergency initiatives.

A statement published in connection with that event said the focus on young people is intended to help them become “confident, capable contributors” to community safety.

Who are the Ilminster Resilience Group?

Prince William will meet members of the Ilminster Resilience Group during his Somerset visit. The group has supported residents during periods of severe flooding, according to ITV News and The Independent.

The reports did not provide further detail on the group’s structure, membership or individual flooding responses. However, the meeting places local resilience volunteers among the organisations being highlighted during the Ready Together launch.

Community resilience groups can support preparedness by sharing local information, helping neighbours, contributing to emergency plans and working with public agencies. Somerset Prepared states that it works with communities to provide advice, guidance and support for local initiatives intended to improve emergency resilience.

Somerset’s preparedness activity also recognises the role of voluntary organisations. Somerset Council says it works with voluntary agencies that assist emergency services and local authorities in emergencies, with training available for agencies that work with the authority.

Why will William visit Sweet Surprise?

The Prince of Wales is also scheduled to visit Sweet Surprise, a café that provides opportunities for adults with learning disabilities. ITV News and The Independent reported that the visit will take place as part of his wider programme in Ilminster.

Neither report outlined further details about the café’s operations or the specific activities planned during William’s visit. Its inclusion means the day’s programme will cover both community emergency preparedness and a local organisation supporting adults with learning disabilities.

The engagement is expected to give the prince an opportunity to meet people involved with the café and learn about its work within the community.

What will Prince William learn at Ilminster Fire Station?

The final part of the visit will take place at Ilminster Fire Station. Prince William will meet representatives from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, according to ITV News.

The prince will hear about mapping and forecasting tools being used to prepare for what ITV News described as a growing risk of wildfires. The reports do not state which specific systems or technologies will be demonstrated.

The fire-station visit will connect the Ready Together launch with the operational work of emergency responders. It will also focus attention on how information, forecasting and advance planning can support preparedness before an incident takes place.

How does Somerset prepare for emergencies?

Somerset Prepared describes itself as a multi-agency partnership working with communities to provide advice, support and training on emergency resilience. Its stated aim is to help people prepare for incidents at home, in their communities and at work.

The partnership has promoted support including funding advice, awareness training, property-level flood resilience information and defibrillator-related assistance.

Somerset Council’s emergency-preparedness guidance advises households to build a home emergency pack and to prepare an evacuation checklist for situations in which they may be asked to leave. It also says residents may choose to keep a basic emergency kit in their vehicle, depending on the season.

Community Resilience Day activity in Somerset has brought together public bodies and community representatives for workshops, networking and demonstrations focused on local emergency planning. The 2026 event is scheduled to be held at Millfield School in Street on October 21.

Background: What is the National Emergencies Trust?

The National Emergencies Trust is the organisation behind Ready Together, the initiative Prince William is scheduled to launch in Ilminster. The Prince of Wales is patron of the trust, according to ITV News and The Independent.

Ready Together is being introduced as a community-focused preparedness project rather than an emergency-response service. Its reported purpose is to provide practical guidance that helps communities prepare for emergencies and organise an effective response when incidents occur.

The launch comes against a local backdrop of resilience work in Somerset, where community groups, councils, emergency services and voluntary organisations already contribute to preparedness for risks such as flooding.

Prediction: How could Ready Together affect Somerset communities?

For residents, volunteers and community organisations in Somerset, the launch could increase awareness of emergency planning and encourage more people to engage with existing local resilience networks. The initiative may also draw attention to practical measures such as community plans, volunteer training, emergency packs and support arrangements for vulnerable residents.

For younger people taking part in the training exercise, the event could provide an introduction to community resilience work and the role they may play in supporting local preparedness. Somerset’s wider resilience programme has already identified young people as an important audience for developing future community capacity.

For emergency services and local resilience groups, Ready Together could offer a national framework that complements existing local activity. Its impact will depend on how communities use the guidance, whether residents participate in planning and training, and how effectively local organisations coordinate before emergencies arise.