What is Community Resilience in wandsworth?

Community Resilience in Wandsworth is a community-led initiative to build a stronger, safer, and more connected borough. Funded by the Mayor of London’s Community Resilience Fund, it brings together residents, voluntary groups, emergency services, and local authorities to better prepare for and respond to crises — from climate events to public health emergencies.

Led by Earlsfield Community Land Trust (ECLT) and supported by partners across Wandsworth, this project is grounded in equity, collaboration, and lived experience.

Our aims

We’re shifting resilience from top-down planning to a whole-of-society approach. Our goals are to:

• Increase community preparedness through joint planning and training

• Strengthen relationships between voluntary and statutory agencies

• Improve communication for fast, trusted crisis response

• Gather and share insight on local assets, gaps, and needs

• Empower community organisations to shape borough-wide planning.

Why this matters

During COVID-19 and the 2024 London riots, local community groups were the first responders — offering food, shelter, information, and emotional support. Yet they’re too often left out of formal emergency structures.

This project recognises that true resilience is built every day — through trust, relationships, equity, and preparedness at the local level.