Invitation to join team planning launch of Lambeth Neighbourhood Watch Association

From Philip Virgo as Development Lead for Neighbourhood Watch in Lambeth 

To possible volunteers to help with Organisation, Fund Raising, Social Media and Events

Nearly 2,000 Lambeth residents are already signed up for Neighbourhood Watch/Met Engage and a further 3,000 are reached via social media groups and TRAs linked to over 120 local groups. There is, however, no Association to organise campaigns or provide support in Lambeth. 

Last year I volunteered to work with the existing Groups, the National Leadership, the Borough Community Police and Council to try to launch an Association by 31st March, in line with the standard Memorandum of Association  and Framework Document for Local Police Neighbourhood Watch Liaison, including processes for information sharing and co-operation via the Neighbourhood Alert system used by both NHW and  Met Engage. 

The aim would then be for the Association to work up plans and projects for public announcement and/or launch during Neighbourhood Watch Week (June 1st - 7th).  The consequent programme of activities should be designed to put the Neighbourhood Watch 2026 Strategy: Watch, Connect, Act into the context of supporting ward-based co-operation with police and others to implement the recent White Paper From Local to national: A New Model for Policing , including the concepts behind the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee ,  Right Care, Right Person  and Young Futures Hubs.

After discussions in the margins of the visit of the Met Police Commissioner to Lambeth on 9th December I agreed a timetable with the Borough Community Police. We began discussions in January and have now made sufficient progress for me to propose an action plan to agree processes for co-operation in time to enable the creation of an effective Association by the end of March. 

I apologise to those of you who expected this process to have been under way before the summer break last year and have not seen interim progress reports as the plan evolved, dropping dead ends as sources of funding came and went.   

The Association will need a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer and a committee representing the membership, to be elected by the group leaders  (currently 120 approved and more in a growing pipeline)..   

We are therefore looking to assemble a development and planning team which will ideally include candidates for the above, plus leads and support teams, for:

How much we have in place by March 31st and/or June 7th will depend on you, plus those who have already volunteered to help.

My personal aim, as development lead,  is to build a band-wagon that will grow over time, building on success … not go up like a rocket and come down like a stick. I also wish to build on what is already happening and works, not to invent new wheels unless necessary. I am not, myself, planning to become an officer of the Association but will be content to work on development, including recruitment and partnerships, for as long as I am useful.     

Can you please confirm that you are still willing and able to help and let me know what would most wish to achieve and what you would most wish to contribute?

I will then send you a copy of the current progress report and plans, including opportunities to meet each other, either on-line or in person, including in the context of identifying and delivering activities already under way to help meet your activities.