7) Provident Living Series; #3 'New' UK Gov Prepare Website. Bad Timing?

 

APPROPRIATE  PREPPING

By Sindy Wakeham

Is this website new? Should we be worried about the timing and what it means?

I’m adding this topic to my Provident Living series because things have got a bit out of hand and it’s ‘hit the fan’ in the past months. Forget about the elections distracting us from what’s been going on. I’ve never seen such crazy goings on in reality. It’s always been consigned to conspiracy theories and propaganda.

I’m tempted to just turn off the TV and in fact, we don’t watch much anymore. WE tend to stream documentaries, favourite movies and more than anything else, YouTube videos, far more helpful. Then we hear the news on the radio while driving and I’m thinking, WE really need to pay attention instead of burying our heads in the sand.

These last two weeks have been a slap in the face. At the same time, elections announced and the new UK Gov Prepare website, which is not new by the way, talk about being prepared for general emergencies that ‘could’ happen in your area or home. Preppers and non-peppers alike are suspicious about the timing of the update in light of elections and what is threatened as consequences for UK regarding the Ukrainian war and everyone’s going ‘WTF?’

So I’m putting the link in here; https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/

Thankfully, the site is very clear that it is about being prepared for emergencies more likely to happen at any time. It gives general preparedness advice as far as assessing your own situation and the area you live in. As far as I’m aware this site nis NOT new It's an update of the previous version.

I have, myself made a number of YouTube videos talking about ‘appropriate’ preparedness. I’ve also said that there will be no doomsday prepping in my house! To be honest, I’m thinking at the moment maybe I need to go full on but only for the reason I’m more concerned about the lunatic actions of politicians and leaders globally and the consequences thereof.  Don’t worry, the budget won’t allow crazy me to go  overboard.

I’m more concerned about the general public going into fear mode and repeating the events of 2020. I’m more concerned about people putting aside their humanity and behaving in selfish, hoarding behaviours let alone the behaviours that surrounded Brexit, the abuse hurled at anyone appearing or sounding like a non-Brit.  My husband and myself were on the receiving end of some of that.

I am more concerned about the language in election campaigns dividing people, exacerbating the disunity already plaguing our country. I’m concerned about the timing of the reminder to prepare and the human tendency to panic and make things worse.

Back to the website, there is too much information for me to share here and it is actually very sensible. It’s not the first time this government advice has been given. This website was updated on the 23^{rd May 2024} and I’m sure released again in light of current situations. So that makes it twice we have been advised officially. It’s been needed long before now. 

It's vindicating for many of us who have been living ‘provident living’ principles, or at least trying to for decades while being branded as crazies and being laughed at. We've been dismissed as fundamentalists and in truth; there are folk who actually are motivated by fear and go way above reason.

I’ve had people say they want me for their survival buddy if SHTF. My reply is, if you are relying on me you might fall short because I’m not that kind of prepper. I don’t know it all. I’m not completely prepared for any proper emergency or at least not as well as I’d like to be. So if you are relying totally on me, you’ll be disappointed.

I’m afraid it’s family first then immediate neighbours and community. We are each responsible for our own welfare AND to those around us who are not able to do these things.

The best way to make sure you are resilient and able to cope with whatever life throws at you is to work out you OWN self-reliance and that includes Provident Living. It helps to encourage your extended family members and neighbours to do the same.

Please don’t go scare-mongering. Humans have the instinct to avoid anything that threatens our peace and comfort. We avoid overbearing people and those who are over-zealous in any topic. Some as mentioned above panic. So avoid being overbearing, over-zealous and extreme.

There are a number of churches and organisations that have been encouraging people for many decades, especially since the 20^th century Great Depression, to live prudently, avoid and get out of debt, save for the future, put away in storage a year’s supply, grow a productive garden and gain all the education and experience in all life and survival skills.

I'd rather you prepare for resilience, peace and ability to cope with the normal storms of life, whether man made, natural or just due to the nature of mortality (sickness, disability, planning for later life care, and wills etc.). It’s just good sense.  

I have mentioned in almost every blog, podcast and video so far that mindset is the key. You can come at ‘prepping’ from a negative preparing from a fearful doom and gloom direction, or you could come at it from a stance that if I am living providently, getting out of debt, storing up for a rainy day, spending modestly and growing my resilience (and garden) and skills to be able to do as much as possible, then I will be able to help others and my security will be in their security.

There will be no fear or losing my humanity. Of course not everyone will think that way and it would be naïve to think that our emergency supplies will be safe and our nearest and dearest will even follow our examples. I will cover more of these topics in upcoming blogs as they fall in the Provident Living category.

Let’s just stay calm but be proactive. Follow the sensible advice. Assess what you have, what you would need for a three day emergency supply and then at least a 3 month supply to keep you going in a longer lasting emergency.  I think I have at least that but would love to go as far as storing for a whole year. NO! I’m not going to be hoarding loo roll! There’s just no space for it in a suburban council house.

Look at what you actually use. Don’t by canned peas if you don’t eat peas. In fact, don’t buy canned peas at all! They are nasty! Instead, think about the season you are going into and store for it. Think about high energy foods (forget the diet) and foods that need little to no preparation. Rice pudding and condensed milk are great if not vegan or diabetic so consider those too. 

What situation would you be in if you needed to rely on emergency storage and plan for that?

Here's a suggested food storge list to think about.

Let’s get real, people would rather trade for food than loo roll! Be kind and avoid stripping shop shelves. You are not the only person relying on the little they can afford to buy for their normal daily needs, let alone put aside.

Do read the guidance on the website and let it guide your own needs. Being prepared for any relevant emergency can be just as much a life-saver to us as the ark was to Noah and his family. WE get to help others build their own too.

Next blog will be going into food storage in more detail.  Others will also be on relevant topics to follow. 

The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah. (Ezra Taft Benson)

Relax, it could be fun and I plan on creating a few videos on the subject too. So until next time, keep calm, get one extra item for the emergency cupboard and have a good chat with family. 

Your fellow sane prepper (disputable)

Sindy.