GETTING ready for all kinds of severe weather at home, on the move, in your community and in the workplace is easy and we can all do it.

That's the message of a national roadshow - part of the Scottish Government's Ready for Winter? campaign - which aims to encourage everyone across Scotland to 'think ahead' and be better prepared for all kinds of severe weather.

The roadshow will visit: Tesco, Paton Street, Galashiels, on Friday, November 23, and Sainsburys, Pinnaclehill Industrial Estate, Kelso, on Saturday, November 24.

The Scottish Government's 'Ready for Winter?' campaign is being delivered in partnership with the British Red Cross and a range of public, private and voluntary sector partners. The campaign aims to provide free information and advice on how to prepare and cope with severe weather including, snow, ice, heavy rain and high-winds.

It seeks to Remind individuals, communities and families of the risks and consequences of being under-prepared for the impact of severe weather; offer free information and advice on the simple steps that people; businesses and communities can take to reduce those risks; highlight the range of free information, support and resources available across all regions of Scotland; and encourage as many people as possible to be ready for all kinds of severe this winter and beyond.

The roadshow takes the form of a pop-up area that will visit supermarkets and local high street areas across the country, engaging with the public to help everyone be better prepared this winter. The team will encourage the public to think about how they could be affected by severe weather this winter, to put in place simple plans and take some easy action that all together will help Scotland be more prepared.

Scotland's Minister for Transport and Veterans, Keith Brown, who has responsibility for resilience issues, said: "One of the key drivers behind this year's campaign is to encourage everyone in Scotland to start thinking about how severe weather could impact them at home, before setting out on journeys, in their communities, and at their place of work.

"Our weather can change quickly and this year we have already seen some people affected by floods and high-winds. We need to keep getting the message out to families, businesses and communities across Scotland about the need to get ready for all kinds of severe weather. Our preparedness campaign shows the simple steps we can all take to achieve this.

"I am delighted that again we are working closely with the British Red Cross to deliver the campaign. We are also working in partnership with Scottish local authorities and a wide range of other partners across the public, voluntary and private sectors."

Roadshow visitors can also take away a range of information, tips and advice on getting prepared.

David Miller, Red Cross operations director for East Scotland said: "Severe weather can take many forms - not just snow and ice - and it is important that we are all prepared for it at home, on the road and in the community. Last winter was the mildest in years, yet many people in Scotland still suffered hardship and inconvenience due to high winds and flooding which resulted in temporary loss of utilities and caused great damage. We cannot legislate for the weather but we can make life easier for ourselves if we take a few simple steps to prepare for it."

For more information please see www.readyscotland.org