Leading recovery specialist to give talk in Southport

One of the world’s leading disaster recovery specialists is in Southport this week, offering her insights about the best ways to cope in the aftermath of this summer’s tragic events.

Professor Lucy Easthope has been an advisor on nearly every major disaster of the past two decades, including the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, 9/11, the 7/7 bombings, the Salisbury Poisonings, and Grenfell. She advised the Prime Minister’s Office in the Covid 19 pandemic and continues to work on events around the world. The Liverpool-born expert, the author of the Sunday Times bestselling book, When The Dust Settles, is looking forward to meeting local business leaders at the Southport Business and Economy Forum at The Bold Hotel on Lord Street from 5.30pm on Tuesday, 26th November 2024.

Professor Easthope said:

“I have many happy memories of visiting Southport as a child; my family has some old video footage of day trips here, meals out on Lord Street, and I have been watching them again. There is something very special about this place”

Meeting with Lucy online, we discussed how Southport is a town that has been deeply grieving. It is also a place where local businesses have been badly hit by the aftermath of the tragedy, where many residents are connected. Places often have a time immediately after a disaster when everyone rallies together, and they all support each other. But often after around 12 weeks – where Southport is now – there can be a real slump in morale. The timing of this event is very important.

“I am aware that at the event, I am not just addressing a room full of business leaders; I am also addressing local mums and dads, local grandparents, people who will have been impacted by this tragedy in a variety of different ways”.

Lucy talks passionately about how tragic events do so much to alter the entire fabric of a place. But Southport has so much going for it and is very community- centred.

“Sometimes after a tragedy, people are unsure how they should return to some sense of normality.People can grieve and pay their respects; and they can also support local businesses. Both are important. People sometimes feel that businesses should not be promoting themselves after a major tragedy. But I want to see business owners pushing out their chests and saying ‘we want people to come back to Southport’. In fact they should be saying ‘we really need you to come back and support Southport. We need some love’.

Lucy is strong that is a message for everyone, but particularly for Southport’s neighbours, for people in Liverpool, in Chester, in Wirral, in Knowsley, in Lancashire.

“Southport needs to be saying ‘we need you to come and visit us now more than ever and the run-up to Christmas is an important time for that message to be going out. It really needs people to come to visit. It needs visitors to come for Southport Flower Show; for Southport Air Show; for days out; weekends away; for Christmas shopping”

Lucy reflected that it is particularly difficult for our town trying to cope with what is going on because it is not just coping with the tragedy from 29th July, but also from the disorder the following night, and with the ongoing trial process. Events have also put the town at the centre of a media storm which can be particularly hard for local people.

Particularly important in the Southport Recovery process will be the focus on children.

The tragedy of 29th July was so horrific, and was covered by media organisations around the world, because most of those killed and wounded were very young children.

It’s devastating for a holiday seaside town which has long been famous for creating positive family experiences and leaving children with happy memories.

That was a particular focus of this weekend’s Southport Festive Fun Day, organised by Southport BID and Sefton Council, which put children as the focus of the event.

Young performers from 14 dance schools, plus others from local theatre groups, stood and performed on the stage on Lord Street in front of delighted crowds.

Professor Easthope said:

“One of the important things is that children need to feel safe. But they also need to be able to go out and have fun again. One example was a community day which was being held in Kensington after the Grenfell Disaster. The organisers were asking ‘can we still go ahead and call it a fun day’? Absolutely right they should. After tragedies happen, people often say to me ‘how do you reconcile grieving for local families while also making sure that the lights are staying on in local shops, hotels and restaurants’? When do you go again? When is the right time? It can feel very awkward. The challenge is to coalesce around the business community in the town and say ‘we are open. We are here and we need your support’.

You can hold the families in your hearts and keep the place going at the same time. It’s important to do both. It’s vital that people build a sense of togetherness, that they stick together and support each other.

Southport has already been through the tragedy of 29th July; the rioting of 30th July; three heartbreaking funerals for three young children; worldwide media scrutiny; the reopening of primary schools attended by pupils who have been either killed or injured.

The start of next year will bring a trial that has been scheduled to last for as long as six weeks through January and February.

Professor Easthope said:

“The pain of the events so far has been indescribable. January and February will be incredibly difficult months for everyone in Southport. Some people may need to stay away from social media and news websites during that period for the sake of their mental health. The local business community will have a really important role to play when that happens next. They need to keep the doors open. Public libraries need to be open. Pubs need to be open. Cafes need to be open. There needs to be spaces where people can come into contact with each other and feel supported. We say in disaster response that healing is done in community spaces. The civic community, the faith community, the voluntary community will be so important in helping the process to happen. It is going to be a long haul to get everyone through.”

Professor Lucy Easthope and top UK economist Christian Spence will share their insights and will be on hand to chat with attendees.

Sefton Council Leader Cllr Marion Atkinson and Chief Executive Phil Porter will also be present.

The free event, organised by Southport BID and Sefton Council, will take place at The Bold Hotel on Lord Street in Southport town centre from 5.30pm on Tuesday, 26th November 2024.