EP:LIVE Brings the Partnership Together for the First Time
6 minute read.
On 8 October, the Emergencies Partnership reached an exciting milestone as we hosted our first ever all-partner, in-person event: EP:LIVE.
For the first time, 150 people from across the Partnership came together in one room to connect, share experiences, learn from one another and celebrate the power of partnership. Bringing together organisations from across the resilience, response and voluntary sectors, EP:LIVE created space for new conversations, fresh ideas and stronger connections that will continue long after the event itself.
The day combined shared moments with a range of "choose your own adventure" sessions, giving attendees the opportunity to explore topics most relevant to their work, while making new connections with partners from across the network.
Putting young people's voices at the centre
A key thread running throughout EP:LIVE was the importance of involving young people in conversations about risk and resilience.
The newly formed EP Youth Council, established especially for the event, helped shape the programme and challenged attendees to think differently about the future. Throughout the day, Youth Council members led sessions, shared their perspectives on the risks facing younger generations, put their questions directly to policymakers and practitioners, and closed the event by reflecting on the discussions and what action should come next.
Phool Ashraf, a member of the EP Youth Council, said:
“As a Youth Board member for The Mayor's Fund for London, I've been advising VCS Emergencies Partnership, alongside Safa Mehmood, Basma El Hayani and Tom Harris. We’ve provided opinions on potential themes and speakers and have also been involved on the day. It was great to co-chair a panel alongside Safa, asking professionals on the current state of youth engagement and where the gaps are.”
Tom Harris, also a member of the EP Youth Council, reflected on speaking at the event:
“I had the opportunity to speak at VCS Emergencies Partnership's EP:LIVE event, talking about risk from a younger generation’s perspective. I wanted to explore what it feels like to be part of a generation inheriting a world shaped by risks including social media, mental health, public safety, housing, employment, AI and our increasingly digital lives. The big question I wanted to leave people with was: are we really listening to the people who will ultimately inherit these risks?”
Learning from across the Partnership
The programme featured a diverse range of sessions exploring some of the most pressing challenges facing communities and organisations today. Topics included crisis communications, weather warnings, learning from Local Resilience Forums, integrating volunteers into emergency response, and two live recordings of the British Red Cross' Bridging Divides podcast.
The day concluded with a panel discussion led by Robyn Knox, joined by leading voices from across the resilience sector. Together, they reflected on the lessons that have shaped resilience over the last decade and explored a shared vision for the next ten years.
Connection and conversation
One of the strongest themes to emerge from the day was the value of bringing people together face to face.
While the Emergencies Partnership has always been built on collaboration, EP:LIVE provided a rare opportunity for partners to step away from screens and build relationships across organisations and sectors.
As one attendee reflected:
“Really great day with all sorts of different partners and perspectives. It's the first conference in a long time that I've come away energised with some ideas of what more we can do.”
Alongside the main programme, attendees explored a series of Spotlight Posters showcasing reports, research, case studies and examples of good practice from across the voluntary and community sector (VCS), resilience and response worlds. Explore the Spotlight Posters here. Our exhibitors also provided opportunities to discover new initiatives and share expertise.
Taking learning back into practice
EP:LIVE sparked conversations and inspired new ideas, leaving attendees with fresh perspectives to take back to their organisations and communities.
Participants shared some of their key takeaways and ideas from the day:
“Thinking about how we work and who we work with - potential to do things differently, work with different groups. Some great ideas about collaborating with young people too!”
“The power of the partnership network and the vast amount of VCS capabilities that exist out there.”
“A renewed energy to make partners understand the skills, knowledge, capacity of the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector.”
“Continue to advocate for young people to be involved in initiatives.”
Looking ahead
EP:LIVE was more than just an event. It was a celebration of what can be achieved when organisations and individuals come together with a shared purpose.
A huge thank you goes to all our speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, Spotlight Poster contributors and attendees for making our first-ever in-person partner event so special.
The conversations started at EP:LIVE do not end here. There is still much to learn from one another, many new connections to build and important work ahead. We look forward to continuing those conversations across the Partnership in the months and years to come.
And, fittingly, we end where so much of the day's discussion began - with young people's voices.
As Basma El Hayani, a member of the EP Youth Council, reminded us:
"We are seen as one group, but young people experience things in completely different ways. Involve young people from the beginning and they might help you see things from a different perspective. Sometimes it's the people that haven't spent years in the system."
Those perspectives inspired and shaped EP:LIVE. They are also a powerful reminder that building resilience for the future means building it with the people who will inherit it.