All of Lothian's universities and colleges are coming together under an agreement to provide mutual support and shared resources in the event of a major emergency. The mutual agreement is claimed to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Chair of the new Lothian group Lorraine Loy, who is risk manager at Heriot-Watt University, said, colleges and universities are becoming increasingly aware of the need to make contingency plans to allow them to carry on in the event of a major incident. All businesses have to have these plans, but with thousands of students attending colleges and universities and often living in supported residences, these organisations face very specific challenges in the event of a crisis, and are likely to be in the best position to provide support and facilities to each other.

"It’s all about sharing resources, skills, knowledge and experience, and it's not just about reacting if there is a crisis, but working together to develop robust plans to ensure that if the worst should happen, each college and university can continue to operate, with the support of others in the network if required."

The new Lothian partnership developed out of the Scottish Business Continuity Management Group, established in 2006 to look at business continuity management in education across Scotland, and it is hoped that the Lothian blueprint can be extended to other areas of Scotland and the UK.

The new Lothian Business Continuity group includes:

Heriot-Watt University
Napier University
University of Edinburgh
Queen Margaret University
Edinburgh College of Art
Stevenson College
Jewel and Esk College
Royal College of Physicians
Open University (Scotland)
Scottish Agricultural College
Royal College of Surgeons
Telford College.

•Date: 1st May 2008• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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