Stay Connected During Neighbourhood Watch Week

While the past year has brought much hardship and sadness, we have also seen a surge in neighbourliness and community spirit, and Neighbourhood Watch is playing their part to help sustain this into the future.

With 2.3 million members, local Neighbourhood Watch groups and volunteers have been at the heart of supporting communities - helping neighbours to connect and support each other, as well as maintaining their traditional role of helping to prevent crime and keep people safe.

The annual Neighbourhood Watch Week 2021 (5th-11th June 2021) presents an opportunity for members and non-members alike to build on the connections made before and during lockdown, to build community resilience and stay connected as England and Wales ease with trepidation out of lockdown.

Neighbourhood Watch are offering a range of online and face-to-face activities for people to engage in either individually or as a community. They are encouraging everyone to participate in ways they feel comfortable with - but always within Covid-19 government guidelines.

Supporting communities is all about listening first and foremost, so to kick off the week Neighbourhood Watch is encouraging communities to listen to each other by joining in with the Big Lunch – a national annual event promoted by Eden Project Communities. Running a listening campaign is another way to listen to and understand the needs of your community and Neighbourhood Watch have produced a ‘How to Run a Listening Campaign’ guide for those who want to get started with this. For those who prefer to listen from the comfort and safety of their home, Neighbourhood Watch is running online crime prevention webinars and sharing a ‘Listening Out for Your Community’ podcast.

With many people feeling anxious about lockdown lifting or feeling increasingly isolated, Neighbourhood Watch have created an ‘Every Mind Matters’ postcard to support neighbours with initiating conversations. They also have a guide on how to set up a ‘Calling Tree’ to reach out to the vulnerable or isolated via the telephone. Talking to neighbours at a community walkthrough enables a deeper understanding of the needs and strengths of the community from others’ point of view. To guide you in how to do this, Neighbourhood Watch have created a ‘How to Conduct an Environmental Visual Audit’ guide.

For those who are ready to engage in community face-to-face activities, Neighbourhood Watch have created guides on ‘How to Organise a Litter Pick’ and ‘How to Organise a Street Party’ – to enable communities to prepare to celebrate Neighbourhood Watch’s 40th Anniversary in 2022.

Neighbourhood Watch Week is just one of the events happening across the UK as part of the launch of the ‘Month of Community’ in June. It is all about creating a focal point in the year to bring people together to reconnect, celebrate what’s local, and help bolster the recovery effort with something that touches everyone. They are calling for you to join in however it works for you and your community, whether that’s to say cheers to volunteers, connect with your neighbours, support a cause you care about or simply to say thank you to those who may have helped you during the lockdown period.

Events include:
● Volunteers Week 1-7 June
● The Big Lunch from 5 June
● Neighbourhood Watch Week 5-11 June
● Carers Week 7-13 June
● Loneliness Awareness Week 14-18 June
● Refugee Week 14-20 June
● Small Charity Week 14-19 June
● The Great Get Together 18-20 June
● Thank You Day 4 July

To find out more about Neighbourhood Watch Week 2021 and the Month of Community visit:

http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/nwweek

Message Sent By:
Clare Harrison (NWN, MSA, Cheshire).