London, August 6th, 2026 – Heads Up CIO, a registered charity dedicated to building psychological resilience and responding to trauma, is celebrating its tenth anniversary with the launch of the Jewish Emergency Psychological Response Unit (JEPRU). This national initiative aims to provide emergency psychological support, an antisemitism support hotline, public training, and culturally informed assistance for Jewish communities.
JEPRU was created to address the critical gap between physical rescue and psychological recovery in the aftermath of major incidents. Its purpose is to ensure that individuals affected by terrorism, antisemitism, and other traumatic events receive prompt, properly governed, and culturally informed psychological support.
The launch of JEPRU comes as the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue approaches. On October 2nd, 2025, during Yom Kippur, an attacker used a car and a knife to assault worshippers, resulting in the deaths of Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz and leaving others seriously injured.
The unit will provide three main lines of psychological response. The first will focus on stabilizing acute panic and distress through rapid Cognitive Psychological First Aid. The second will support Family Reception Centres during missing persons, identification, and family liaison processes, building on experience and learning from the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017. The third will support those who protect the community, including peer support, Trauma Risk Management, and psychological decompression for community security personnel, emergency responders, and volunteers.
JEPRU will also open a confidential antisemitism telephone support hotline in cooperation with TIKVA by KeepOlim. This service will provide support for those affected by antisemitic incidents, intimidation, or abuse and will be staffed by trained responders.
Alongside its emergency response work, the unit will develop national training programs for professionals and the general public. The training will cover what to do following an attack, Psychological First Aid, responder welfare, and culturally informed training for non-Jewish professionals.
A spokesperson for Heads Up CIO said, “As we approach the first anniversary of the attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, we remember Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz and stand with everyone whose life was changed that morning. Physical injuries may be immediately visible, but the psychological effects of terrorism and antisemitism can continue long after an incident has left the headlines. JEPRU is being created so that culturally informed psychological support is available when it is most needed, both for those directly affected and for the people who respond.”
The unit is currently recruiting volunteers for a variety of roles, including Psychological First Aid responders, ambulance drivers, paramedics, EMTs, and police officers. Some positions require professional registration or previous experience, and training will be provided for appropriate non-clinical roles.
Founded in 2016, Heads Up CIO has responded to various incidents, including the Manchester Arena bombing, the London Bridge and Borough Market attacks, Grenfell Tower fire, and the war in Ukraine. JEPRU welcomes participation from across the full range of Jewish religious traditions and community backgrounds, as well as professionals and members of the public who share its commitment to compassionate, responsible, and culturally-aware support.
To volunteer, make media inquiries, support the development of JEPRU, or request further information, please contact the unit at hello@headsupcio.org.uk or 07397 293885. For more information, visit https://jepru.lovable.app/ or email admin.
Notes to editors:
– Heads Up CIO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England and Wales under charity number 1170821.
– The Jewish Emergency Psychological Response Unit is an initiative of Heads Up CIO.
– JEPRU’s proposed operational work will be subject to appropriate training, safeguarding, clinical governance, information governance, and cooperation with the relevant statutory and emergency services.
