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On Wednesday, October 22, 2026, the British government launched its new “Be Ready” campaign, asking every household in the country to keep enough essentials to get through three days of disruption. Led by the Cabinet Office, the campaign centres on a downloadable checklist: three litres of drinking water per person per day, non-perishable food that needs no fridge or cooking, a torch, a battery or wind-up FM radio, a charged power bank, a first aid kit and essential medicines — and physical cash, kept in a mix of coins and notes, in case card payments and online banking go down.
“Are you emergency ready?” the updated government website asks. “From severe weather to cyber attacks, emergencies can disrupt the services you rely on. Being ready for three days helps you manage while support reaches those in need.” The push focuses on familiar emergencies such as floods or wildfires, but it arrives as ministers warn about the possibility of war, and the readiness campaign is set to run for three years. It replaces a previous version launched in 2024 that similarly urged the country to be more prepared.
The checklist groups the advice into nine categories. Water: bottled water for three days, at three litres per person per day for drinking, with extra for cooking and hygiene — at least 36 litres for a family of four. Food: non-perishable items that keep, such as tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. Hygiene: hand sanitiser, wet wipes and basic bathroom products. Light and warmth: a torch with spare batteries, blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing. Communication: a battery-powered or wind-up FM radio, and a charged power bank — the radio matters because official information still goes out on FM when networks fail. Money and documents: cash, copies of ID and a written list of important phone numbers. Medical: a first aid kit and a working supply of essential medication. Babies: ready-to-feed formula, nappies and wipes. Pets: pet food and bottled water.
The government is emphatic that nobody is being told to buy everything at once, and it does not use the word stockpile. “You don’t need to do it all at once,” the guidance says. “Build up your readiness gradually over time by taking it step by step, and picking up an extra item or two when you can.” The checklist also suggests keeping a “grab bag” of essentials in case a family has to leave home suddenly, and sign-up to the Priority Services Register, which flags households that may need extra help to their gas, water and electricity suppliers.
Germany’s guidance goes further and is long-standing: the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance advises every German household to keep a ten-day supply of food, and enough drinking water for five days at two litres per person per day.
The launch follows a push that began a month earlier. On September 26, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting used a Sun on Sunday interview to ask households to keep some cash, bottled water and tinned food at home, calling it “just a simple ask” — and the old GOV.UK Prepare kit list had not included cash. The update has been welcomed by resilience campaigners, though some in the resilience sector said it was not the big fanfare they had expected if the government were going to put the country on more of a war footing. It contrasts with more high-profile efforts by like-minded NATO allies to prepare their publics for the possibility of conflict.