The words, ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ may call to mind the twitching curtains and nosey neighbours of yesteryear, but as Cedric Foster found out, coming together with your street can offer peace of mind and a lot more…
Did you know that there are currently just nine Neighbourhood Watch (NW) schemes covering streets in Histon and Impington? With a population of over 11,000 – that’s a small proportion of streets represented.
Residents of Winders Lane, as far as the junction with Clay Street, are the latest to get active on local security, by resurrecting a NW scheme that had been dormant for more than thirty years. New signs have appeared on local lampposts and neighbours keep each other up to date and share any concerns via a WhatsApp group.
Getting hands-on
Histon and Impington NW groups form part of a broader network across Cambridgeshire, each with its own volunteer area coordinator, with the aim of keeping their communities safer.
Activities the security-conscious residents take part in range from litter picking and local tidy-ups to connecting with the local police to learn about campaigns and initiatives that may affect them.
John Fuller, the South Cambridgeshire area coordinator, explained to me: “People join Neighbourhood Watch for many different reasons. Many residents wish to improve safety around their home and street, while others simply want to feel part of an active community and meet new people.”
Having an active NW can also play a part in finding and apprehending criminals through reporting information and sightings to the police .
Getting covered
Roads in Histon and Impington which are registered to be part of NW schemes include Impington Lane; Pages Close; Parlour Close; Aingers Road; Burkett Way; Park Lane; School Hill; Windmill Lane & Bell Hill; Muncey Walk (bordering with Narrow Lane) and New School Road.
Getting involved
John believes the benefits of joining up are clear: “As well as reducing and preventing local crime and anti-social behaviour, having a NW scheme can also reduce fear of crime, which in turn helps improve residents’ quality of life.”
Setting up a new NW in your street could also capitalise on the feeling of community spirit and cohesion many people experienced at the height of the Covid pandemic, when neighbours came together in a way that they perhaps hadn’t previously.
Many streets started WhatsApp groups at that time in order to look out for elderly or sick neighbours or just to help with shopping or errands, so there are already networks established, just waiting to be turned into official schemes.
If you would like more information about setting up a Neighbourhood Watch group in your road, or wish to resurrect an old scheme that has lapsed, visit www.ourwatch.org.uk