3. Running a scheme
Running a Neighbourhood Watch or Home Watch scheme can be a great opportunity to make a real difference in your area. You might set a new scheme up, revive an old one or be appointed coordinator of your existing group. Whatever the case, it needn’t be a daunting prospect. This Toolkit will get you started and the other materials and information on this site will help you keep going.
Aims and objectives
There are four steps to working out your group’s agenda.
- Identify problems. Figure out what the problems are in your area, ideally by speaking to local people.
- Decide what you can do. Choose actions specific to the problems you identify. The section on safety advice and our case studies may provide inspiration.
- How can you make it happen? Identify needs: money, time, meeting places, stationery, printers etc. Make sure members can commit.
- Do your actions help? Adapt as you go. The group should write down and share thoughts on how well things are working.
Write up objectives in a simple statement. This can be useful for publicity.
Maintaining your scheme
Review your scheme annually: ask how well you’ve met your objectives.
Relaunching a Scheme
Relaunches of inactive schemes should be carefully structured. Blame achieves little. Instead, reconsider your processes and then, when the scheme is revamped, publicise it. Then review the new scheme regularly, perhaps every three months.
Example: Chippenham and Rural Villages Neighbourhood Watch
There has been a Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) in Chippenham for 20 years. In 2007, a new Community Area Coordinator realised many groups were dormant and went through the police NHW database, establishing which groups were active and still had coordinators, recruiting new ones where necessary.
Forming associations
Associations are usually made up of large local schemes covering districts, towns etc. Coordinators form a steering committee, often with police, then agree objectives.
Example: Devon & Cornwall Community Watch Association (DaCCWA)
Established in 1998, with local authority boundaries and 16 district groups, this association consists of four levels: the Strategic Board, the Basic Command Unit NHW Committee, District NHW Forums and Local Beat Area NHW groups.
Find out more
To read in more detail about running a scheme, download the full version of this toolkit.
Read the next toolkit, Communication Skills.
