Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch Awards 2008 + Interim News

April 2008

National Grid and Gas Alliance

A public meeting was recently held in the village hall in Todwick to host a presentation by the National Grid and Gas Alliance. Over the next few months all the iron pipework supplying gas in the village will be replaced with plastic pipe. Work has started in the Mortains area and will progress on that side of Kiveton Lane towards the old nursing home. The next phase will cover the other side of Kiveton Lane and the final section from the Village Hall towards the Red Lion. Approximately 10 days before you are directly affected you should receive a letter with more detail. If you have any queries please contact:

• Paul Cowan from National Grid 07792 159939 for gas supply issues
• Stuart Hutson from Streetpride on 01709 336003 for footpath reinstatement issues
• John Palmer from Todwick Parish Council on 01909 771257 or
• Norman Anderson of Neighbourhood Watch for general concerns.

Surveys

There is currently a "pedestrian survey" being carried out in the village as part of the A57 widening scheme. It is being done on behalf of the Borough Council. Monitoring will take place on Saturday 5th April and Wednesday 9th April.

Introduction

Todwick neighbourhood watch group was awarded "Outstanding village group" at the recent South Yorkshire Neighbourhood Watch achievement awards evening, attended by Patron Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire David Moody, Assistant Police Chief Constable Mark Whyman, and the Mayors & Mayoresses of Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley.

We are a very new and successful group, however lots of the areas and individuals around South Yorkshire have had to work hard over many years to make a difference; some of those stories are detailed below. They prove that with dedication and support good changes can be made to the community.

Neighbourhood Watch has moved on substantially. It is no longer just about the traditional crime and safety issues. It is also about community cohesion, environmental issues and working in partnership with the statutory agencies and other community groups. There are 3,500 Co-ordinators with in excess of 100,000 members in South Yorkshire. Their contribution is hard to measure but in monetary terms if Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators was a paid for service it would equate to £3.5 million pounds.

Chairman's Award - Linda Maxted

Linda is Rotherham area liaison and supported Todwick neighbourhood watch group through its initial development. Linda's involvement with neighbourhood watch stretches over 19 years and the following qualities are cited as the reason for her award.

• Tirelessly supported existing and new NHW groups
• Contributed to the development of the County Association
• Supported the wider community by providing advice and support on virtually any given topic (what she doesn't know isn't worth knowing)

Overall a person who goes the extra mile.

Outstanding Village Neighbourhood Watch Award

TODWICK - Norman & Virginia Anderson

The speed of development of Todwick neighbourhood watch has impressed the judges of this award, the timetable briefly was:

6th June 2006 Referral received that someone was interested in obtaining information about neighbourhood watch.

13th June 2006 Visit to provide information about the role of neighbourhood watch. Information pack Promotional literature/flyer's provided for distribution.

26th July 2007 53% of the village of Todwick have joined neighbourhood watch.

For the period 1st August - 10th October 2006 there were 23 recorded crimes

For the period 1st August - 10th October 2007 since NHW was formed there were a total of 10-recorded crimes.

Quarterly newsletters are produced and distributed providing information about crime issues and other matters of interest.

The Todwick Village website publishes the NHW newsletters.

Members are encouraged to tell the co-ordinator about their problems and they do all they can to help ranging from a call about getting a wasps nest removed, another who wanted a handrail fitted, and another who was getting noise through the night from the recreation ground. All these, and many more the neighbourhood watch, take in their stride.

The co-ordinator and members believe neighbourhood watch works and are now setting out to convince the other 47% in the village to join.

County Award - Exceptional Service Highly Commended

Maureen Tennison and Margaret Adamson

These ladies have been involved in NHW since 1999. They were instrumental in the establishment of the "Cop Shop" which was piloted in Edlington and the Policing Project in which funding was secured for Edlington to have its own inspector for a period of 2 yrs and for instilling confidence back within the community

They set about tackling problems familiar to most of us in some form - Anti Social Behaviour, causing fear and intimidation within the community.

The Community felt they had to put up with this kind of behaviour until it was decided to take a stand by involving other agencies.

With help from their Community Safety Facilitator funding was secured for a number of initiatives relating to crime & disorder.

• Funding was secured for Policing and other Projects.
• They wrote to the Home Office in the hope of a ministerial visit to look at the many problems they had. The minister could not attend but he sent representatives, which proved a turning point.

Their NHW was a recipient of £1000 'Taking a Stand' Award

County Award - Exceptional Service

OUTSTANDING AREA CO-ORDINATOR - Tony Dutton

Tony has been the co-ordinator for his own NHW since he came into the area in 1983

During the last year he has campaigned heavily to start up new schemes in the Area and has been instrumental in identifying and reactivating defunct schemes. He holds monthly meetings, works with colleagues to send out regular newsletters, and his meetings invariably have a main speaker to address his members.

Tony has made one of his duties to ensure that the elderly and vulnerable all receive the Data Link Canister and Personal Attack alarms. His latest venture is to apply for funding to give out the Carbon Monoxide Alarms that the group has been able to purchase at reduced prices.

He has been major player in campaigning for having active Crime and Safety Sub Group for the Area and can be found most weekends doing the rounds in Wombwell Town Centre promoting NHW.

He works closely with the Wombwell Town Centre Committee, which holds events as well as linking in with Parks Watch and Wood watches, attends Local Council Forum as NHW Rep and is a very active member of the Cemetery watch.

He was a recent winner of Barnsley area Co-ordinator awards with commendations.

Outstanding Area Co-Ordinator - Doreen Gravil

Mrs Doreen Gravil has been a long hard working member of Neighbourhood Watch.

She has been the chair and main Co-ordinator of her area Neighbourhood Watch Balby, for as long as anyone can remember.

She has worked hard and tirelessly to make not only Furnival Road a safer cleaner area to live in but also the adjacent roads that surround it.

Many of the residents look to Doreen to solve their problems. She has taken the elderly residents of the Marshalls Aged persons Bungalows under her wing.

Not afraid to make herself unpopular she will represent her NHW in her area and fight for what she believes is in their best interests.

Problems associated with drugs, abandoned cars, anti social behaviour.

County Award Exceptional Service - Commended

Barry McGowan

Barry started with NHW in 1999 because of his growing concern over the increasing problems not only on his street but also on the rest of the Estate.
Calling a public meeting at which over 50 people attended and 5 schemes were started
Through his persistence and personal endeavour it very quickly grew to encompass the whole of the Estate and beyond.

A tireless campaigner for improvements within his area, not only about crime and anti-social behaviour but also for environmental and housing issues. During this time he suffered a lot of personal abuse and attacks. It got so bad that he had to be re-housed to another part of the estate. Nothing daunted Barry and his family. He continued to carry out his commitments (His reaction was "They are not going to beat me").

• For his work the NHW in the area he received the national NHW Award in 2004 and was featured in a number of national papers and radio
• He was elected Vice Chair of his NHW District Association in 2001 and also took on the role of area co-ordinator for his Council ward.
• He has always been involved with his local Tenants and residents Association and became Chair of the Federation in 2004

Barry has encouraged both these two groups to work together, so as to have a more powerful voice, and in so doing bring about improvements, a reduction of crime, and the fear of crime in his area but also throughout the Borough.

He is well recognised in his town and sits on a number of important committees.
During the last 12 months, he has spent many months in the very frustrating work of trying to set up a crime and safety sub group in the Hoyland area.
However organising the old persons Christmas fun day at the fire service, and days out for senior and vulnerable members of his NHW, he manages to do with very little money, which in itself is an achievement.
Monthly surgeries are held for his members to bring their problems to and whenever possible. organising Fun Days to raise the awareness and much needed funds for his NHW. Barry is the person that if you have a problem, he will do his best to sort it out.

In 2006 he was nominated and was accepted as the new chair of the County Association (SYNWA). Barry was presented with the new fire service award for partnership working. He has now taken on the role of being the regions representative to the new Home Office/ACPO NHW national Committee.