In this second episode of the UKRA’s new podcast, we welcome the Director of Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR)*, Roger Hargreaves, into the Round to discuss the UK’s central government arrangements for responding to serious domestic and international crises.The conversation offers an insightful overview of COBR’s structural role and functional remit within government, and in the wider, national resilience context. It also underscores the critical role of local resilience partners in a national crisis response, and includes personal reflections on how the UKs central crisis response has evolved in recent years.

*COBR is the Cabinet Office-led mechanism for co‑ordinating UK central government’s acute response to emergencies. For more information on the central government response to crisis see The Amber Book on gov.uk.

On this first episode of the UK Resilience Academy's brand new podcast, our Head of Thought Leadership, Lianna Roast, welcomes Chief Resilience Officer for Greater Manchester, Dr Kathy Oldham, OBE, and Voluntary Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Programme Lead for Greater Manchester Resilience Forum, Sulafa Abushal, into the Round.

The conversation explores the breadth and scope of local, whole-of-society resilience efforts - before and beyond an emergency response . Kathy and Sulafa also discuss the structures that they operate in as part of the Greater Manchester Resilience Forum, and share reflections on their own personal routes in to the resilience profession.