BCI North East England Chapter Meeting
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Join the BCI North East Chapter for a highly interactive in-person event focused on a topic that our member community has requested: exercising and how to ensure it delivers real value.
Set in the beautiful surroundings of The Hawkhills estate near York, this meeting will bring together resilience professionals to explore an important question: are your exercises genuinely building confidence, or are they simply fulfilling a requirement?
The morning will begin with networking and a chapter update, followed by a thought-provoking session led by members of the Northumbria Local Resilience Forum. This session will challenge common assumptions and explore the often-blurred lines between exercising, assurance, and validation. Through practical discussions and shared experiences, you will gain a clearer understanding of how to move beyond “tick-box” exercises and demonstrate meaningful outcomes to senior stakeholders.
After a BCI update and a networking lunch, the afternoon will focus on practical application. DCR Partners will lead a fully facilitated, immersive crisis exercise designed for active participation. You will work in small groups, taking on different roles and perspectives to navigate a dynamic scenario. This collaborative experience includes no observers—everyone will contribute, learn, and leave with actionable insights.
Key takeaways:
- Understanding the distinction between exercising, assurance, and validation
- Practical approaches to demonstrating value from exercise programmes,
- Experience of a live, facilitated crisis simulation
- Peer learning and shared insights from across sectors
Whether you are developing your exercise programme or refining a mature approach, this event offers a valuable opportunity to challenge thinking, build capability, and connect with peers in a unique and engaging setting.
Agenda:
| Item | Time |
|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Registration & Networking |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Chapter Lead & Committee Intro |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Northumbria LRF: The difference between exercising, assurance, and validation - and why it matters. |
| 12:00 – 12:3 | BCI Update |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Networking Lunch |
| 13:30 – 14:30 | DCR Partners - Facilitated Crisis Exercise |
| 14:30 – 15:30 | Q&A and Closing Remarks |
Venue:
UK Resilience Academy (UKRA)
The Hawkhills, York YO61 3EG
- Please report to reception upon arrival to collect a name badge and share car details.
- There is no public transportation available to the venue, and the nearest bus stop is about a mile away. If you are not driving, the easiest option is to take a taxi, which will cost approximately £35 one way from York Station.
- The venue offers accessible parking and step-free access to the venue and facility.
Sponsored by:
Speakers:
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Vicky Crennell
Vicky is an accomplished resilience and emergency preparedness professional with more than 15 years of experience across the public sector. She is a co-founder of the Resilience Community Training and Exercising Forum (RCTEF), a national organization aimed at connecting practitioners, enhancing capabilities, and promoting best practices in training and exercises. Vicky currently works as a Senior Emergency Preparedness Manager with the UK Health Security Agency and is a UK Resilience Academy Associate.
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Ryan Taylor
Ryan is a crisis and resilience consultant at DCR Partners, advising regulated financial services firms on incident and crisis management and enterprise resilience. With a background spanning defence, medtech, and financial services, he brings a practitioner's approach to crisis leadership - designing and delivering executive and board-level crisis simulations and building resilience programmes for firms ranging from FTSE 100 insurers to mid-tier banks, building societies, and fintechs.
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Rachel Mitchell
Rachel is a highly skilled Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) specialist with over 18 years’ experience delivering effective emergency preparedness for Category 1 responders in the UK. Driven by a passion for collaboration, she established and leads the Resilience Community Training and Exercise Forum. This initiative brings together training and exercise leaders from multi-agency partnerships across the four nations to share best practices, address challenges, and influence national policy. She is currently the Head of EPRR for the North East Region of the UK Health Security Agency and serves as an Associate of the UK Resilience Academy.
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