Neighbourhood Watch recruitment continues to grow our membership with another 60 people this month signed up to Ourwatch and more roads covered.
We have many more new members who are not with Ourwatch, although we recommend it because they would still get information if the Coordinator stopped for whatever reason and they can edit their details if they move.
There is also a possibility of a reduction in house insurance if a NW membership number is given. Also, Ourwatch has a wealth of information online about personal safety and security.
This month, we as a team have done a fair bit of legwork and talking to residents which has been lovely meeting people, although catching them at home isn’t easy.
It is interesting that residents who hadn’t joined said that they either didn’t know that there was a NW scheme in their area, or if they did, then they didn’t know how to join.
So we need to raise the profile of NW and I believe we as a team are doing that.
We have increased the number of Coordinators and I’m supporting each new one personally showing them the ropes and helping wherever I can.
It’s the initial work that takes a little time but once everything is set up then it all just ticks over mainly by email.
I have three more people interested in becoming a Coordinator and hopefully will get them signed up this week.
One statistic which may surprise you is that 52% of all crime is online or on the telephone!
The more information we can spread about these crimes, the more we can make people aware and hopefully protect themselves.
I am looking into the possibilities of a WhatsApp NW group but I need to be mindful of GDPR.
I visited a resident at a farm recently who was in a WhatsApp group with his neighbours and he told me a story of the time he was letting off fireworks for a family celebration that wasn’t in November and soon had a message from a neighbour to warn everybody that poachers were in the fields!
So he was able to explain, but lesson learned that he should have forewarned them.
I’m sure you have all seen the latest Beat Report from PCSO Richard but since the last meeting there have been two occasions of criminal activity to report.
One was theft from a house having an extension being built where a white van pulled up early in the morning and the occupants proceeded to help themselves to building equipment.
This was picked up by CCTV from the neighbour opposite.
And there was a bicycle taken from where it had been left unattended on the grass at the bottom of Ashdene Road. Two adult males were seen and one who was obviously too big for the bicycle got on it a rode off.
This was witnessed from a distance by a resident and reported.
The Police will be holding two more bicycle marking sessions next Monday 24 July.
They will be in Lyndhurst car park from 9.30 -11.30am then outside Cycle Experience in Brockenhurst between 1 – 3pm.
On Sunday I had reports of lads acting suspiciously.
They went into Elmtree Close and were there for some time so a neighbour went to have a look and found a couple hiding in the hedge who then ran off towards to Coop. There are other details which are too gruesome to share.
I learned that travellers are in the area so please be careful.
Good news. I understand that Bartley Post Office and Stores has reopened and that Miki was planning on being at the Happy Cheese today.
Really pleased for Miki and her family and praise to them for their hard work getting things up and running again.
All the thieves got was a few hundred pounds, yet the damage they caused cost much more and affected many people.
Not long now until our village fete so I’m looking forward to talking to existing NW members and hopefully recruiting some new ones.
Most people are caring and look out for each other, especially looking out for the elderly or those on their own, and really that’s what Neighbourhood Watch is all about.
Mandy Evans 023 8029 2800 email ashurstandcolburynm@gmail.com You can also join via www.ourwatch.org.uk