Exercising helps organisations review their response plans, strengthen coordination with partners and test how they would respond to a range of incidents. Scenario-based exercises provide a safe environment to explore roles and responsibilities, understand capabilities, identify gaps, and test specific aspects of emergency response. They also support a culture of continuous learning, helping teams build confidence, develop skills and improve their preparedness for future emergencies.
On this page, you will find a range of exercise resources from organisations including EP Mental Health Network, Protect UK and the National Cyber Security Centre. Many of these can be adapted to suit your organisation's needs and objectives.
You will also find a selection of serious games and simulations, which provide an engaging way to explore emergency preparedness, decision-making and resilience concepts through practical activities and simulations.
If you have a resource that could benefit others across the Partnership, please email info@vcsep.org.uk.
Exercise Resources
Major Incident Exercise: Chemical Spill
This exercise, created by the EP Mental Health Network, focusses on what organisations can offer in terms of mental health and psychosocial support when responding to a chemical spill.
Major Incident Exercise: Pandemic
This exercise, created by the EP Mental Health Network, focusses on what organisations can offer in terms of mental health and psychosocial support when responding to a pandemic.
Exercise in a Box (NCSC)
Exercise in a Box is an online tool from the National Cyber Security Centre which helps organisations test and practise their response to a cyber attack. It includes everything you need to set up, plan, and deliver the activity.
ACT in a BOX (ProtectUK)
ACT in a BOX is an interactive exercising experience which enables organisations to rehearse and explore their response to terrorist incidents. There are two scenarios, both designed to be completed in a group format.
Scenario Exercising: Train the Trainer (Guidelines)
These exercise guidelines support preparedness and help organisations run their own exercise at an organisational level, or across a network of partners.
Scenario Exercising: Train the Trainer (Planning Guide)
Our planning guide has tips to help organisations plan, tailor and deliver their own emergency response exercises. They can be used for internal organisational exercising, with a wider network, or across a region.
Scenario Exercise: Forced Migration
This scenario centres on the breakout of a new conflict and the arrival of refugees. The resource comes with expansion packs focussing on themes such as volunteer management and LRF/VCS connections, each with injects and prompt questions.
Scenario Exercise: Winter Preparedness
This scenario exercise is based on extreme winter weather conditions. It can be run within an organisation or with local networks to develop shared understanding and increase winter preparedness.
Major Incident Exercise: Wildfires
This exercise, created by the EP Mental Health Network, focusses on what organisations can offer in terms of mental health and psychosocial support when responding to a heatwave/wildfire scenario.
Major Incident Exercise: Flooding
This exercise, created by the EP Mental Health Network, focusses on what organisations can offer in terms of mental health and psychosocial support when responding to a flooding scenario.
Serious Games and Simulations
What a Disaster
Bristol City Council - Interactive tabletop exercise for multi-agency emergency response teams. Participants take on responder roles and make time-pressured decisions during realistic incidents. Designed for off-the-shelf use with no facilitator or specialist knowledge required. Includes two scenarios: Exercise Ashdown (wildfires) and Exercise Solstice (heatwave).
Stop Disasters Game
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) - An interactive game that helps adults and children understand how decisions about planning, preparedness and the environment can affect the impact of disasters. Players explore how actions such as early warning systems, education and evacuation planning can reduce risks and save lives.
Emergency Scenario Bingo
Scouts (in partnership with British Red Cross) - An engaging activity for children and young people that uses bingo and team challenges to build awareness of emergency preparedness, the role of emergency responders and community helpers, and how to stay safe before, during and after an emergency.