Tuesday 13 June, 12 to 1pm | Webinar

A Resilience First and ICAEW joint webinar

Building resilience to fix our broken high streets

Three years after the first wave of Covid-19 hit the UK, retailers and the hospitality sector are still feeling the impacts of a global crisis that fundamentally changed the way we live, work and play. But despite (and as a consequence of) growing pressures from the cost of living crisis, this new way of living offers plenty of opportunities for planners and businesses alike to rethink the role of the High Street in building community resilience.

This webinar will look at placemaking and strengthening communities through rejuvenation of town and village centres across the UK. Looking at recent examples of successful regeneration projects, the panel will discuss key challenges and innovative solutions that are being implemented to recentre the local villages and high streets, for the benefit of businesses and communities alike.

Our panel will address topics such as:

  • The need for a bold vision – examples of innovation and success.
  • New opportunities that regeneration and repurposing present for hospitality and leisure operators.
  • Developments in social and experiential uses of space.
  • Harnessing changing consumer spending.
  • The shift towards localism.

Confirmed speakers:

  • Simon Gray, Head of Business, ICAEW
  • Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality
  • Dr Steve Norris, National Head of Planning and Regeneration at Lambert Smith Hampton
  • James Rayner, Head of Retail, Argent (Property Development) Services LLP

Key benefits:

  • Hear how regeneration projects can build strong town centres.
  • Gain an understanding of the opportunities on offer for innovative retailer and leisure operators.
  • Be inspired by success stories.
  • Pose your own questions to our panel.

For more information please contact Shazre Quamber-Hill on contact@resiliencefirst.org.

 

Upcoming events

  • London Business Networks for Resilience Launch Event | Connected for Resilience

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    Resilience First is pleased to convene its members and the capital’s leading business networks for Connected for Resilience on Thursday 29 May.

    This is the launch event for the new initiative, London Business Networks for Resilience, supported by London Resilience and delivered by Resilience First, which aims to strengthen the resilience, emergency preparedness, and crisis response capacity of businesses across London.

  • In-Person Event: Resilience Amidst Geopolitical Upheaval

    Wednesday 4 June, 08:30-14:30, central London

    Join Resilience First for our in-person session on geostrategic resilience in practise: a half day event for resilience practitioners.

    To culminate the Geopolitical Resilience programme curated by Resilience First and PwC, we are delighted to invite you to an exclusive in-person event on Geopolitical Resilience, hosted at PwC’s Embankment Place offices.

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    From March to November 2025

    Resilience First (RF) and Washington DC-based think-tank The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) have partnered to curate and deliver a corporate dialogue programme: Climate Resilience Foresight Series.

    By combining expertise and leveraging extensive global networks of businesses, RF and C2ES are convening leading companies to examine how climate change is a threat multiplier in a 2- and 3-degree world, and how businesses can strengthen their climate resilience across five organisational dimensions.