Tag: Neighbourhood Watch

  • Library to host ‘Digital Voice switchover’ event

    Landlines in the UK are going digital, and BT is working with Neighbourhood Watch to help Histon & Impington residents understand changes being made to the telephone system with the switch to fibre broadband.

    The existing analogue technology which has supported phone and broadband services for decades is being retired and switched off.

    In future, landline users will be able to make calls in exactly the same way as they do at the moment, but the technology behind the scenes, known as ‘Voice over IP’, will use an internet connection. 

    BT believes these digital landlines will be easier to maintain and provide a better service for customers.

    Local support

    To make sure everyone knows about the change, charities are working with BT to communicate how households will be impacted and what they need to do as a result of the Digital Voice switchover. 

    Neighbourhood Watch will be running an event at Histon Library from 11am-2pm on 10 March, to support local residents to feel confident and safe with the change.

    They are looking for two volunteers who are “good communicators” to work at the event, and BT is offering a selection of training dates on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to help prepare the volunteers for the event.

    No technical expertise is required, just a willingness to chat to people about the switch and get completed surveys from them.

    Neighbourhood Watch is also seeking volunteers for Soham, Sawston and Milton Road in order to complete the list of areas covered in Cambridgeshire.

    To volunteer, contact rosslyn.allen@ourwatch.org.uk

  • Help available for H&I Neighbourhood Watch schemes

    Help available for H&I Neighbourhood Watch schemes

    Members of Neighbourhood Watch schemes in Histon and Impington, or those looking to start up a watch, can now access New Member and Coordinator Welcome Packs when they register to join.

    Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators are hoping to boost the number of schemes covering streets in Histon and Impington. Photo: Cedric Foster

    Neighbourhood Watch schemes can play a part in reducing and preventing local crime and anti-social behaviour. The new Welcome Packs are designed to let members know more about the Neighbourhood Watch movement and how they can make a difference in their community.

    New Coordinator Packs include ideas on how residents can get more involved, how to connect with neighbours or find a local group to join. They outline the role, and include details on the support organisers can expect, as well as how to contact the leads for their broader area. They have been developed in collaboration with existing Coordinators to support those taking on the role for the first time.

    Residents should also look out for a new range of products, including postcards and flyers, launched in the next few months, that they can use to encourage others to join.

    To receive the New Member Pack, or apply to become a new Coordinator, visit ourwatch.org.uk

    Read also: Is it time to revive your street’s Neighbourhood Watch?

  • Is it time to revive your street’s Neighbourhood Watch?

    Is it time to revive your street’s Neighbourhood Watch?

    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