Annual report 2012/13

Transcription

1 Annual report 2012/13 This is a This is a

2 This is a

3 This is a This is a Contents Chair s remarks page 4 Financial summary page 5 Report on Activities & Achievements in page 6 Communication page 7 Partnership Working page 8 Organisational Development page 9 Support, Advice And Resources page 9 Progress towards outcomes in page 10 A History Of Neighbourhood Watch In Scotland page 11 Five years from now page 11 Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13 3

4 Chair s remarks For a number of years, we have been working solidly with established Neighbourhood Watch groups and supporting new ones to get going. This year it was clear that we had to take our efforts to the next level in order to attract more people to get involved. Our main purpose is to help people make their communities safer and spread awareness about crime and community safety issues. We needed a wider reach and a wider appeal. To that end, we made the decision to implement a new system Neighbourhood Alert which has allowed us to streamline a great deal of the administration of Neighbourhood Watches. But far more importantly, it has improved the way that we communicate. We are now able to communicate quickly, easily and in very targeted ways that we couldn t even imagine previously. This system was officially launched at last year s AGM in September, along with our new logo and look. We are now well on our way to being seen as a relevant, credible, strategic community safety organisation. A number of partner organisations have approached Neighbourhood Watch Scotland as a result of hearing about our new ways of working. We are in a better position now than we have been in for a long time. You ll see later in this report a timeline of the development of Neighbourhood Watch in Scotland. In five year s time, we hope that many more milestones will have been placed along this journey. The next year will bring a new set of challenges and a lot of hard work as we move towards a place where we are regularly bringing local, timely information to all of our users. Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and COSLA are all key partners in this process, and we have established good working relationships with all three, as well as a number of other organisations. It s through partnership that we will be able to achieve our shared outcome of making Scotland a safe place to live, work and play. 4 Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13

5 Accounts A summary of the accounts has been included below for your convenience. The full accounts are available for inspection upon request. The accounts were independently examined by: Independent Examiner Macfarlane Gray Limited, Chartered Accountants, Macfarlane Gray House, Castlecraig Business Park Springbank Road, Stirling, FK7 7WT Financial Summary Incoming resources VOLUNTARY INCOME Donations: 47,358 Grants: 78,977 Sale of materials: 4,825 INVESTMENT INCOME 131,160 Deposit account interest: 7 Total incoming resources 131,167 Resources expended CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Wages: 39,268 Social security: 3,471 Pensions: 1,778 Rent: 4,459 Insurance: 2,385 Telephone: 601 Postage and stationery : 4,557 Sundries: 737 Travel and subsistence: 3,300 IT costs 4,264 Subscriptions 410 Meetings and conferences 960 Materials 7,493 Promotional materials 2,391 Communications 9,600 Computer equipment 755 GOVERNANCE COSTS 86,429 Trustee s expenses 1,230 Accountancy 1,100 Professional fees 2,608 4,938 Total resources expended 91,367 Net income 39,800 Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13 5

6 Report on Activities & Achievements in People and communities in Neighbourhood Watch areas of Scotland increase their understanding of how to stay safe in a range of situations People in Neighbourhood Watch areas feel safer Scottish communities have an increased awareness of community safety issues leading to the development of more Neighbourhood Watch schemes Volunteers find being a part of a Neighbourhood Watch a positive and rewarding experience. Neighbourhood Watch increases its partnership working with other organisations to make Scotland safer. We ve summed up our contributions to these outcomes under our areas of focus Communication, Partnership Working, Organisational Development and Support, Advice & Resources. 6 Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13

7 Communication In September 2012, we unveiled our new communications system Neighbourhood Alert. We have benefitted in a number of ways from the introduction of this system. From increasing our communication reach, to encouraging partner agencies to engage with us, the Neighbourhood Alert system is one of the most significant steps forward that Neighbourhood Watch in Scotland has ever taken. Our main purpose is to provide information and advice which helps to keep people safe. Responses to our annual survey were positive about our communications: Receiving information from Neighbourhood Watch Scotland makes me think about my own safety and that of my community 98% agree I feel more confident about safety issues after receiving information from Neighbourhood Watch Scotland 92% agree I do things differently as a result of receiving safety information from Neighbourhood Watch Scotland 74% agree 96% of respondents to our survey rated our communications as good or excellent, up from 85% in The percentage of people rating our messages as excellent rose from 34% to 42%. There has been a shift in how people get their information from us too more people now cite s as their source of information (up 18% from 2012). The number of people stating that they used our website, our facebook and our twitter account all rose slightly, while the newsletter s popularity decreased. The upturn in s and the website point towards the introduction of the Neighbourhood Alert system as a positive development, driving more interest and delivering more relevant information. With the transfer to a new and more robust administration system, we were able to completely audit the data we held with regard to the number of watches, coordinators and members we have registered. At the end of last year, we had a reported 1558 groups registered. After thorough auditing, we now have 1549 groups registered, with whom we are in regular contact. While the number of watches has been relatively static over the period of this year, the number of people we can communicate directly with has increased considerably. As well as having 1579 coordinators registered at the end of March 2013, we also had 13 deputy coordinators, 173 members of watches, and 292 people who aren t involved in Neighbourhood Watch registered to receive our information and alerts, meaning we have more than 500 additional people that we can communicate with directly. We are now able to measure how far our messages go and how people interact with them. We sent out information in February relating to the new 101 number to contact local police. We sent the message directly to 1620 people. It went on to potentially reach 25,045 people. Our system gives weightings to each interaction and this communication was given a visibility score of 3487, giving it propagation ratio of 215%. This would have previously been impossible for us to measure, and difficult for us to achieve. We now need to build up the number of people registered with us. Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13 7

8 Partnership working We have seen an upturn in partners approaching Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, and this is largely down to our communication capabilities through Neighbourhood Alert. When people want to put out a message, they know we can reach all of our users quickly and easily, and that the message will travel beyond our audience through forwarding, twitter, facebook and search engines. Our ongoing discussions with Network Rail and BTP accelerated after the introduction of the Alert system. The capabilities of the system were recognised as ideal for the proposed Rail Watch schemes we had been planning to implement. Talks progressed and, as at the time of writing, a joint Rail Watch project between Network Rail, BTP and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, based around the Alert system, will be operational in Scotland before the end of In November of 2012 we were approached by police from Helensburgh to discuss the possibility of a Rural Watch covering the area around Her Majesty s Naval Base Clyde. We supported the development of the project, which involved Strathclyde Police and the Ministry of Defence Police jointly. While dealing with the usual aspects of rural crime, the watch was also set up to encourage vigilance around the base, contributing to counter terrorism in the area. The watch officially launched in July Grampian Neighbourhood Watch Association passed a resolution at its AGM to dissolve and pass responsibility for NW in the North East to Aberdeen Safer Communities Trust (Absafe). Absafe was involved in the initial start-up of GNWA and have long supported NW volunteers in Aberdeen and beyond. Absafe also decided to take a Neighbourhood Alert licence and, as such, will be communicating at a local level in the same way that we do at a national level, providing clarity and simplicity for those involved in Neighbourhood Watch. We have also supported the initiative of Student Neighbours, due for launch later this year. We re excited to see how this Neighbourhood Watch for students works out. We contributed to research into Neighbourhood Watch from within Scotland and from the Netherlands. People in Neighbourhood Watches constantly tell us that they would like more information on local issues and more local crime alerts. We have worked with a range of partners over the year to bring this closer to reality. Raising awareness of our capabilities through the Neighbourhood Alert system has been key this year. We have held demonstrations of the system for the following organisations and groups: Police Scotland, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Scottish Community Safety Network, Trading Standards Scotland, various Local Authorities, Horsewatch Scotland, British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS), Scottish Business Crime Centre, Scottish Government Community Safety Unit, National Farmers Union Scotland, Network Rail and the Aberdeen Safer Communities Trust. We arranged for representatives from some of the above organisations to travel to Cumbria where the Alert system is in use by Police, Fire Service, Local Authority and Neighbourhood Watch to demonstrate the partnership potential of the system in action. Additionally, we have exhibited, presented to or attended meetings with the following groups: Forth Valley Sensory Centre, Shell 44 Pensioners Club, Clackmannanshire Doorstep Safety Group, Tenant Information Service and various Tenant & Resident Associations, Dementia Services Development Centre, West Edinburgh Community Safety Panel, Scottish Government Resilience Advisory Board (Voluntary Sector), British Transport Police and the Voluntary Action Fund. 8 Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13

9 Organisational development Through involvement with the Voluntary Action Fund, a development day was held for the board of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland in October 2012, during which the board looked at the way forward for Neighbourhood Watch. Subsequently, decisions were taken to: Source office premises for Neighbourhood Watch Scotland moved out of the Scottish Business Crime Centre in January. Recruit additional board members 7 additional members joined the board in August Review staffing requirements a proposal was submitted to the Scottish Government for an additional staff member. Additionally, the board reviewed the Role Profile for a board member of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, and developed a Code of Conduct for Trustees, which they all signed. The board decided to move the financial resources of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland to new accounts with the Charities Aid Foundation Bank (CAF Bank), following a series of problems in dealing with the previous bank account. The image of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland was addressed with the introduction of a new logo in June This was officially launched at the 2012 AGM in September. The new logo has informed the design of our newsletter and other publications, and has garnered some very positive feedback from people in Neighbourhood Watch and beyond. Not everyone prefers the new logo to the old one, but this is to be expected when dealing with something as subjective as design. We continue to receive positive comments on the new look, and are working on extending the brand beyond Neighbourhood Watch to incorporate Farm Watch, Rural Watch and Rail Watch among others. Neighbourhood Watch Scotland was approached by the Scottish Government to contribute to the Community Engagement agenda by developing and delivering two events around the use of technology and social media for engagement. These will take place in October Support, advice and resources We try to ensure that we reach people in the ways that they want to be reached. While most of our advice and information goes out via , we can also send text messages and voice messages. We continue to provide paper copies of our newsletters and other materials for over 250 NW groups with no access. In October 2012 we held an event in Dumfries town centre where we invited local NW groups along to hear inputs from the Police, Fire Service and Trading Standards. Unfortunately the weather was awful and attendance was low. A similar event in Falkirk attracted around 25 local coordinators who listened to presentations by local agencies. Everyone who responded to the evaluation of the Falkirk event said that it was beneficial to them, and only one person said they wouldn t do anything differently after the event. People found the presentations by the Fire Service and Trading Standards to be of most benefit, along with the opportunity to speak to other coordinators. Since the introduction of the Alert system, over 120 messages have been sent out. Some of these will have gone to all registered users, but many have been targeted so that people don t receive irrelevant information. Users are able to send immediate feedback on the content, relevance and quality of the messages they receive so far our feedback has been very encouraging. One of our main functions is to support the start-up of Neighbourhood Watch groups. We continue to provide advice by and phone, as well as attending meetings with prospective groups where possible. Unfortunately, due to limited capacity in terms of staff, this isn t always possible. Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13 9

10 Outcome Indicators Progress in People and communities in Neighbourhood Watch areas of Scotland increase their understanding of how to stay safe in a range of situations Local Neighbourhood Watches use the tools provided by NWS to disseminate information People know where to access advice on community safety People access advice on community safety issues People can provide information to others on how to stay safe People respond to situations safely NWS is able to disseminate information further than ever before, while at the same time, having the ability to target information at specific geographic, demographic or interest groups. 92% of people feel more confident after receiving NWS information 72% of people do things differently as a result of receiving safety information from NWS Over a range of safety related situations, 84% of people report that they are confident that they know what to do to keep themselves safe. People in Neighbourhood Watch areas feel safer People know if they live in a NW area People know how to contact and engage with their local NW People report feeling safe in their own communities People report feeling safe while away from home in Scotland People can now find out where their nearest Neighbourhood Watch is at our website, they can also opt to join the watch directly online, contact the coordinator, or start a watch if there isn t one in existence. 96% of people report feeling safe walking alone in their communities during the day, but this drops to 71% after dark. 78% of people feel safe away from home during the day, dropping to 36% after dark. Scottish More local communities approach communities have an increased awareness of community safety issues leading to NWS for advice on setting up local Neighbourhood Watch schemes Number of Neighbourhood Watches increases the development Local activities/campaigns increase of more There is a greater diversity in Neighbourhood Neighbourhood Watch membership Watch schemes Due to the extensive data audit carried out during the transition to the Neighbourhood Alert system, the number of watches has remained largely static over the period , however, queries and requests for information are received daily. As at 1st April 2013, there were 1549 registered schemes, and 2057 registered users on the Neighbourhood Alert system in Scotland. As at 1st April 2013, of those who have elected to enter their age group on the Neighbourhood Alert system, 51% are under 55 years of age. This compares with 21% of NW members who responded to our annual survey. This would suggest that the Neighbourhood Alert system is driving interest from a younger audience towards Neighbourhood Watch. Volunteers find being a part of a Neighbourhood Watch a positive and rewarding experience. Volunteers recommend being a part of NW to friends and family Positive local meetings People perceive that being part of a Neighbourhood Watch brings them benefits Complimentary feedback, both written and verbal 93% of individuals who are part of a NW would recommend it to friends and family 92% of individuals who are part of a NW find it a positive experience, up from 87% in % of people agree that being part of a NW brings benefits to them and their community. 91% of feedback received via Alert system is positive (three month rolling average as at 1st April 2013) Neighbourhood Watch increases its partnership working with other organisations to make Scotland safer. Common messages are delivered by organisations NWS provides information to relevant organisations regarding their work Possible partners know the value of working with NWS. Relevant partners approach NWS to work collaboratively Neighbourhood Watch Scotland regularly sends out messages on behalf of the Police and Trading Standards, as well as other relevant partners. Neighbourhood Watch provided presentations and demonstrations to in excess of 25 organisations in Several partners are currently investigating the possibility of using Neighbourhood Alert within their own organisations. 10 Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13

11 A history of neighbourhood watch in scotland CIRCA 1980 The first Neighbourhood Watches in the UK start up, based on a model first trialled in Chicago. The first Neighbourhood Watch is largely thought to have been in Mollington in Cheshire in There are some people who think that Glenrothes had Neighbourhood Watches even earlier, but no records exist to corroborate this. It s a nice legend to kick us off though THROUGHOUT THE 1980S AND 1990S, Neighbourhood Watches are established in Scotland, largely supported by the Police National Neighbourhood Watch Association (NNWA) is formed to act as an umbrella body for Neighbourhood Watches throughout the UK The Scotland Act is passed, establishing the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive NNWA Conference at Easingwold encourages regions to set up associations Scottish Neighbourhood Watches invited to attend a weekend conference at the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan. A follow up conference is held at McDiarmid Stadium in Perth, at which a proposal for the creation of an Association covering the whole of Scotland was tabled. A shadow board/working group is set up to oversee the creation of the Association of Scottish Neighbourhood Watches (AoSNW) AoSNW is registered as a Scottish Charity. NNWA is experiencing financial and structural difficulties, and AoSNW makes the decision to cut ties with NNWA until such times as these are resolved Public Liability Insurance policy for all Scottish Neighbourhood Watches is established via AoSNW. Inaugural AGM is held at Fife Police Headquarters in Glenrothes Three year funding package agreed with the Scottish Government. First member of staff is employed Lisa Toon, National Development Officer. AoSNW move into the Scottish Business Crime Centre offices in Stirling Admin Assistant employed. A database of all known watches is compiled in cooperation with police forces and local volunteers. Conference and Award Ceremony held. Ian Fowler takes over as Chair The first AoSNW newsletter is distributed to just under 1200 watches. The first Neighbourhood Watch member survey is carried out. Communication with watches improves Research carried out into the perception of Neighbourhood Watch by the public. Move towards becoming a SCIO Neighbourhood Watch Scotland SCIO is established. New logo is unveiled. Neighbourhood Alert system is implemented Working with partners to bring relevant, timely communication to communities. Five years from now We aim for Neighbourhood Watch to be on its way to becoming an integral part of community life. More people will be involved in Neighbourhood Watch and they will find it a positive and rewarding experience. People in Scotland will have a higher awareness of how to keep themselves and others safe. We have honed our outcomes down into four statements that we can work towards over the coming year and beyond: People and communities in Scotland increase their understanding of how to stay safe in a range of situations, and behave accordingly. People in Neighbourhood Watch areas feel safer. Volunteers find being a part of a Neighbourhood Watch a positive, rewarding and inclusive experience. Neighbourhood Watch increases its partnership working with other organisations to make Scotland safer. This is a This is a Watc Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Annual report 2012/13 11

12 Details of the Organisation Name: Neighbourhood Watch Scotland SCIO Scottish Charity No: SC Purpose: The organisation s purposes for the public benefit are the advancement of citizenship and community development, in particular through advancing and promoting public participation in the prevention and resolution of crime. Registered Address: Office 4, Evans Business Centre, 3 Whitehouse Road, Stirling, FK7 7SP Principal contact: Lisa Toon, National Development Officer Board of Trustees Name Bill Campbell resigned 20/8/2012 David Mackay resigned 7/3/2013 Ian Fowler James Watson Stanley MacLeod Hugh McCreadie Mark Biggins Grahame Clarke appointed 7/8/2013 John Cunningham appointed 7/8/2013 Alan Dobie appointed 7/8/2013 William Kelly appointed 7/8/2013 Jamie Kerr appointed 7/8/2013 Duncan Littlefair appointed 7/8/2013 Fiona Stuart appointed 7/8/2013 This is a find us on