Keep a watch for new-look neighbourhood newsletter

The Gloucester Neighbourhood Watch Association has launched its revamped community newsletter, just months after being faced with having to stop its production for good.

Neighbourhood Watch is the UK’s largest and most recognised voluntary movement, with Britain’s first scheme set up in 1982. Since then, it has evolved from a collection of local schemes into a wider, national network. Its aim is to bring neighbours together to create strong, friendly, active communities where crime and anti-social behaviour are less likely to happen.

Gloucester’s own Neighbourhood Watch scheme was established over 20 years ago and is dedicated to keeping residents informed with advice on how to reduce crime where they live. Their seasonal newsletter, Cascade, is distributed to over 14,500 Gloucester homes by a dedicated team of 450 volunteers and Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators. Each issue of Cascade includes important advice on fighting crime, updates from Police representatives and useful crime and safety-related contact numbers.

Finding sufficient funding to cover Cascade’s printing and distribution costs continued to be a challenge for the Association’s committee members, who until recently, had reluctantly considered bringing it to an end. However, with the help and guidance of its long-standing supporters, Cascade has been given a new lease of life.

Gloucester-based security specialists, Allcooper are main sponsors of Cascade and their proactive backing has helped the Association to continue production. As well as providing ongoing funding, they have helped to significantly reduce printing costs and completely refresh the newsletter’s design.

“Allcooper have been supporting Cascade for many years offering readers advice and special offers on home security systems” said Allcooper representative, Tony Symonds. “As a business focused on keeping our customers and their homes safe, we strongly endorse the work of Neighbourhood Watch. When we heard the concerns surrounding future of Cascade, we weren’t prepared to sit back and witness such a valuable community initiative come to an end. We wanted to do everything we could do to help.”

Further funding for Cascade is provided by the City’s Crime Prevention Partnership, Safer Gloucester.

Gloucester Neighbourhood Watch Association Chairman, Paul Finch commented: “Neighbourhood Watch is just one part of a group of organisations that together, work towards a safer Gloucester. These include Gloucestershire Police and Safer Gloucester. Our volunteers are very grateful for the support of these organisations together with Allcooper, without whom Cascade could not be published and distributed to all our members.”

The summer issue of Cascade will be distributed from 19^th July.

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk