Residents in parts of Cumbria will take part in a large-scale emergency evacuation exercise this week as local authorities test the region’s ability to respond to major incidents.
On Wednesday 2nd July 2025, from 10am to 1pm, Exercise Sanctuary will simulate a real-time emergency that results in people being displaced from their homes. Temporary Emergency Assistance Centres (EACs) will be activated at:
Penrith Rugby Union Club, and
Carnegie Theatre, Workington
The exercise is being led by Westmorland and Furness Council, which holds statutory responsibility for emergency response planning across the entire county — including both the Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland council areas.
The aim is to rigorously test how local services would support the public in the event of a real emergency — such as severe flooding, industrial accidents, or national security threats — by setting up welfare centres where evacuated residents can receive shelter, advice, and basic necessities.
Participants, including council staff, emergency responders, and volunteers acting as evacuees, will carry out realistic emergency response procedures, from registration and accommodation to crisis support and coordination between agencies.
The exercise comes just weeks after the Prime Minister stated that the UK must "prepare for war", in remarks highlighting the growing importance of national resilience and local emergency preparedness in an increasingly uncertain global landscape. While Exercise Sanctuary is not linked to any specific threat, it reflects the wider national push to ensure communities are ready to respond to unexpected crises
During the simulation, volunteers acting as evacuees will be collected from pre-arranged home locations and brought to the designated centres, where staff will rehearse the full range of emergency welfare procedures. This includes registration, provision of information, access to shelter or accommodation, and liaison with other support services.
The scenario will reflect the pressures and complexities of a real emergency — such as flooding, chemical spills, or infrastructure failure — allowing agencies to test both their preparedness and coordination.
Exercise Sanctuary takes place against the backdrop of increasing national focus on civil resilience, following recent comments by UK Government ministers that the country must prepare for the possibility of war. Although there is no specific threat to Cumbria, the exercise reinforces the need for robust local systems capable of responding to a wide range of risks.
Residents may notice activity around the Penrith and Workington centres during the morning, including the presence of emergency vehicles and volunteers arriving at the sites. Organisers have confirmed this is a planned training exercise only, with no actual emergency taking place.
The event forms part of Cumbria’s statutory emergency preparedness obligations and will be evaluated in detail to inform future planning and training across the region.
The warnings from the government this week said the UK should now be on a 'war footing', and households should be looking to ensure they have a supply of items which could see them through power cuts, cyber attacks and threats on our infrastructure.
The government’s UK Prepare website has a list of advice for all households in the UK to follow, and aims to get everyone to make sure they have some safety net in case of unforeseen national emergencies, just in case https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk
The Cumbria Prepared page also has advice and details of local resilience groups https://cumbriaprepared.org.uk/homepage
Westmorland and Furness Council has been approached for comment on the emergency preparedness exercise but has yet to issue any public update on the exercise.
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