Lambeth Neighbour Watch Association Progress Report: May 2026. Main item Youth Engagement and Support

Over 2,000 Lambeth households participate in Neighbourhood Watch via 120 groups. Most households have registered for Report Fraud and most of the groups link to street /estate tenant/resident associations or facebook/whatsapp group. The overall reach is estimated at 13,000 households, This is well below the national average (8%) but is growing at about 5% per month as awareness of the benefits from joining the national network spreads. 

We are making good progress in agreeing co-operation with community police teams and safer neighbourhood panels, group by group and ward by ward - but appear unlikely to have both team and funding in place to launch an Association in time to provide support (beyond introductions and shared projects) for local group activities during Neighbourhood Watch week (1st to 7th June).

A summary report of the Lambeth-wide planning meeting on 31st March was sent to all on the Neighbourhood Alert database. Please reply to this or e-mail development@lambethnhwa.co.uk if you have joined since and/or would like a copy of the full report. The main points for action since that report are:  

1 Please update your entry on the NHW/Met Engage database to show your interests (so that you can be put in touch with those who share them) and whether you have CCTV to help with providing evidence to enable the police to better investigate local incidents.

2 Please reply if you would like to help organise or support the formation of the Association and/or to attend a meeting to discuss what is involved. We particularly need group co-ordinators who are willing to serve as officers and/or to train as multi-scheme administrators (approving/mentoring new groups). 

3 Youth Engagement and Support. It is important that activities address the concerns and priorities of the teenager of today – as opposed to what we remember from when we were young. They can join in their own right and become co-ordinators at 16 (although they will need a escort for safeguarding purposes if under 18). 

Please help encourage and support them to do so, to make their views known and to help organise what they want to see. That will not be easy for them, or for us. We have not only to listen but to demonstrate that we are doing so. Meanwhile time is not on their side, or ours.

The incidents in Clapham over the Easter Break highlighted the need to use planning for activities during Neighbourhood Watch Week  to identify and work with those already planning youth engagement activities after the exam season and to use the week to help publicise, promote and build on these. 

The police have no plans for a summer youth camp this year. 

The Council has announced the following, albeit details are not yet available:

The Lambeth VCS community engagement meeting to discuss activities is on 4th June and will provide an opportunity to meet delivery partners.  

See attached copies of Lambeth VCS and Youth and Play newsletters for more details of what is already planned and/or current funding opportunities, including how to sign up for future copies. 

Please reply to this if you would like to help organise/attend an earlier meeting to discuss co-operation.   

4 Business Watch:  Report Fraud and the London Cyber Resilience Centre have agreed to provide speakers and content for events on cyber security and counter-fraud, provided Business Improvement Districts help with promotion and hosting. Please reply if you would like to help and/or to attend. 

5 Travel Safety, Safe Spaces & VAWG We have been offered an uncharged imabi Community Safety channel to copy Safer Torbay. Please visit and explore Travel Guardian (over a million downloads to date) and reply if you would like help use the opportunity to also meet VAWG and other safety/safeguarding objectives and improve footfall/spend in your community. 

6 School Watch, Child Safety and Safeguarding: please reply/e-mail if you would like to help organise and/or attend a workshop with the schools police team on community co-operation on child safety and safeguarding in Lambeth and Southwark to bring together parents, teachers, youth, health and welfare workers, police and council officers to discuss practical co-operation. We already have offers of inputs from those running relevant national and/or pan-London support services including the UK Safer Internet Centre and  Safeguarding Parental Support.