October 2014
AGENDA FOR JUNE QUARTERLY MEETING TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY 30th October 2014 AT THE CIVIC CENTRE, NEATH
AGENDA
We have got out of line to meet our number of quarterly meetings to achieve the AGM in April 2015. To rectify this the meeting has been postponed until October
- Chairman’s welcome and report
- Apologies for absence
- Minutes of previous meeting
- Secretary’s report
- Treasurer’s report
- Police Report
- Community Safety Report
- Any other community/area reports
- Neighbourhood Watch – Can we continue in the face of little support or interest
- Any other business
- Date of next meeting : 29th January 2015 and AGM on 30th April 2015
March 2014
Afan Tawe Nedd Neighbourhood Watch Association
2nd floor Port Talbot Police Station, Station Road, Port Talbot, SA13 1JB
Tel- 01639 889747, Fax- 01639 889174, E mail- atnnhwa@hotmail.co.uk
CHAIRPERSONS NEWSLETTER MARCH 2014
Winter is now behind us and hopefully we will be able to enjoy improving weather and a lot more sunshine. Apologies for the absence of a newsletter over the past 2 months but personal commitments and other disruptive activities got in the way.
Our quarterly meeting was held in February, and the minutes will be on the internet site shortly along with the usual advice on safety and property care.
There have been a number of changes in personnel over the past months, Tony Paine, who some of you have already met now has the responsibility of liaising with Neighbourhood Watch. Mary Williams has looked after us royally over the past 2 years since I have been in the Chair, and she now has different responsibilities. We still get a large amount of help from Mary, and I would like to express my thanks and that of all the watch members for her efforts. We received a lovely thank you letter from Mary which was read out in the last meeting, and in that she wished us all well for the future.
Our future as Neighbourhood Watch will be busy. We are in discussion with NPT Homes to create a project to put their houses and the houses in the areas of their homes into Neighbourhood Watch. The project plan is almost complete and will be put on the site shortly. Having completed a large development in Aberavon before Christmas we are now being asked to install watches in the neighbourhood. Any help you can give will be much appreciated as much of the burden falls on too few shoulders.
To try and get a better turnout at meetings, it is proposed that meetings be made every two months and we can vary the locations so that any travel requirements can be shared. I would appreciate your input to ensure we meet the needs of the majority of our members.
Enjoy the Spring and hope the Summer will make up for the bad winter.
16.10.13
17.9.13
Afan Tawe Nedd Neighbourhood Watch Association
2nd floor Port Talbot Police Station, Station Road, Port Talbot, SA13 1JB
Tel- 01639 889747, Fax- 01639 889174
E mail- atnnhwa@hotmail.co.uk
www.atnneighbourhoodwatch.org
CHAIRPERSON’S NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2013
Now that the holiday season is almost over, life gets back to normality and the problems of everyday work. Enormously refreshed we are ready to tackle the tasks that lie ahead, and I have been reviewing the events of the last year and what we face in the future. As part of my responsibility to our President I have to sustain and grow Neighbourhood Watch, and this is becoming difficult for the following reasons:
The demographics of the members are getting older, and unless we are able to recruit younger members the Watch will quietly run down and then it will be missed.
Too much of the work load is having to be carried by a very small number of people, and members will have to more active in the running of the watch.
Any ideas or contribution how this can happen will be much appreciated.
October’s quarterly meeting will be most important. Anti Social behaviour, which affects all of us will be the subject of a presentation by the Anti Social Behaviour Team at the Police station. This will give us a clear insight as to what can be done to reduce the problem from both the Police’s and a Landlord’s point of view. This should be an excellent evening so please turn out to support us and make your contribution to the debate.
We are experiencing difficulty with our IT system. Historically we could send copies of minutes etc. by e mail, but for some reason hotmail our provider is limiting the amount of information we can send. In the meantime we will put the information on the site and try and advise of any updates. If there is a computer wise person out there who can help please call and we can arrange for you to advise us on our system and how to best use it.
You can now follow us on twitter via @saferneathpt
11.6.13
7.5.13
4.3.13
18.1.13
CHAIRPERSON’S NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2013
In early January we speculate what is before us in the New Year, and this year again we think what are the objectives for Neighbourhood Watch in 2013. We have the opportunity to explore this during the AGM on 24th January 2013, the agenda and minutes you should have had by now. I look forward to seeing old faces and hopefully new faces at the Civic Centre, Neath this year.
At the end of last year a number of members said tat they had a concern in putting the Neighbourhood Watch stickers on their windows in case they became a target. I sought the advice of Tony Pain, Crime Reduction Tactical Advisor who has been involved with Neighbourhood Watch for the past 32 years, and was one of the people involved in introducing the concept to the area. He said “In 32 years I am not aware if any incident where persons have been targeted in the South Wales Police area. I cannot speak for any other areas. There have not been any reports that street signs have been attacked either. The sign is in fat a warning to offenders that they are more vulnerable to being caught”. I hope this gives our members the confidence to put the signs in their windows and ensure that the undesirables are made visible so that our colleagues in blue can deal with them.
When I came out of the house this frozen morning, parked next to my car was a nice vehicle, no one in it with the engine running to defrost it – what an opportunity for a car thief. If you have to defrost your car please do not let any thief have the opportunity to make you defrost yourself by making you walk to work. Just remember if your car is stolen in such circumstances, the insurance may not pay out.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year, and see you on the 24th
13.12.12
6.11.12.
CHAIRPERSONS NEWSLETTER – NOVEMBER 2012
November comes in with a bang when Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated, but this year Neighbourhood Watch created its own technological bang when our own Internet Site was launched. Designed by Cled Griffin, the site was launched by the High Sheriff of West Glamorgan Mr William T Hopkins, the Mayor Councillor Martin Peters and Superintendent Joe Ruddy. Many of our colleagues from the Council and Police were there to hear Cled explain the concept of the site. The site was very well received and editorial and photographs will appear in the Courier on Thursday 8th November. This can be found on www.nptneighbourhoodwatch.org
November the 15th is potentially an important date in the development of Neighbourhood Watch. The newly appointed Police Commissioners have a duty to ensure that policing is carried out in a manner to meet the aspirations of the public at large. Neighbourhood Watch will be a vital conduit through which its members will be able to get their points of view taken into account, and any Commissioner worth his or her salt would be unwise to ignore this influential contact point. It is in your best interest to vote and ensure your voice is heard. Further information can be found on www.choosemypcc.org.uk
At the moment there is an enormous amount of advice available on safety and wintertime care. Cold calling and doorstep sales exposes the elderly and vulnerable to the unacceptable pressures many of these people put on them. The simple motto is “If in doubt keep them out” and if you are uncertain do not answer the door. If you see the same persistent callers let 101 know and they can then build a picture and react accordingly. Help the Police and the Local authority to ensure your safety by building the case to remove these nuisances from the street.
Christmas can be an expensive time of the year, take care of your presents, bags and purses and do not allow your hard earned money become a benefit to some unscrupulous opportunist. Be doubly careful where you show any money you have, and it is sad to say treat everyone with a degree of suspicion, and in that way you will be very aware of what is going on around you. If you are seriously concerned talk to a store security officer, a Policeman or someone in authority and give yourself some time to gather your thoughts in a safe environment, and things will not be so threatening.
Take care between now and Christmas, it is a busy time, and look forward to the festive season. We in the Watch are going to be busy with a number of new initiatives being planned for the new year that hopefully will make 2013 a better year.
CHAIRPERSON’S NEWSLETTER – OCTOBER
11.10.12
The “season of mist and mellow fruitfulness” has arrived vigorously and as nights draw in, Neighbourhood Watch has an increased responsibility to the young and vulnerable in our society. The tragic events at Machynlleth reinforce this message, and hammers home the message of mutual responsibility. We cannot turn back the clock, but we can certainly learn and not allow such events to happen again.
The month has not been quiet. New faces have appeared in the corridors where our office is located, and we are now in the centre of the teams who work to enhance and enforce the requirements that give us the enhanced quality of life we all seek. At this week’s quarterly meeting we will be able to meet two of these people who will give an insight to their work and thinking. During future meetings we will have people from various organisations come to inform us of the role they play and how we are able to work in support of them.
Huge developments have taken place on the communication front. Without stealing too much of Cled’s thunder during the quarterly meeting, we will have the opportunity to preview the Internet site he has developed on our behalf. An important step to improve the quality of our communication, and to ensure this continues, Cled has agreed to take on the responsibility of Communications Officer and look after the site and contacts with other organisations who are able to publicise our work.
We continue to work to fund the Business Plan, and hopefully over the next couple of weeks we hope to receive a response from Tata who are holding their funding committee, and optimistically the response will be positive. From this point we will be able to contact other identified funders with whom we have already spoken with our identified requirements.
We certainly need more people who may be able to offer technical support and know how and also physical help with the tasks we need to carry out. To sustain Neighbourhood Watch we have to grow and try and get a younger and broader profile. It is a well known business fact that unless you grow you die, and Neighbourhood Watch is a far too important contributor to society for that to happen.
After this month our next meeting will be the AGM. Have some thoughts on how you would wish to see the organisation develop for the next year. If this information could be collated by early December it can be incorporated into the agenda for the AGM
CHAIRPERSONS NEWSLETTER – AUGUST 2012-09-03
Autumn has arrived and with the onset of shortening days the importance of Neighbourhood Watch increases as the more vulnerable in our society need that extra bit of care.
Last month I asked for watches to update the office on their levels of activity and to ensure our database is up to date. A lot of work has been done to clean and consolidate our database so that we are able to take maximum advantage of the faster communications offered by e mail and internet. We are in the final stages of developing our Internet site through which we can improve the distribution of information and facilitate communications between all our groups.
Our Business Plan has been submitted to Tata for consideration of some financial support. Also Neath Port Talbot CVS and Gwenda Thomas AM’s office are doing searches for funding and will assist in the presentation of the applications. Anyone with contacts in Companies who are based in the area and who have a social funding facility, please let us know.
Our new brochure is now available from the office, please let us know if you require some. The numbers of watches are quietly building, but we still have a long way to go. If anyone wishes to assist in setting up watches or mentoring new watches please let us know at the office.
The next quarterly meeting will be held in October, documents and details will be sent out during September. Please make an effort to attend, at the last meeting we did not have a quorum so therefore very little could be achieved.
1in 4 burglaries through
an unlocked door!
Amazingly, 1 in 4 burglaries are down to people leaving their doors and windows open or unlocked – making it easy for burglars to walk in, take what they want, and walk out again.
There are a number of things people can do to prevent a sneak-in theft.
• Lock all doors and windows when out or working in the garden or garage.
• Never leave keys in the locks of doors or windows.
• Avoid leaving valuables near windows, such as, mobile phones, jewellery, handbags, expensive ornaments and keys.
The Neath Port Talbot Partnership are committed to reducing crime in Neath Port Talbot please help us to help you. Report any suspicious activity to the Police on 101 and if you have any information regarding crime in your area please ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Safer Neath Port Talbot Partnership
