In many towns and streets, Neighbourhood Watch helps neighbours look out for each other, look after their environment, and feel optimistic about where they live. This is proven to help reduce crime.  This category celebrates Neighbourhood Watch groups and Coordinators who have gone the extra mile to look out for the needs of their neighbours and neighbourhood.   

Our Winner: Sean Edmunds 

Sean’s nomination

Sean works selflessly for the community putting other people first. Sean is the coordinator for the Meon Vale NW and a parish councillor. He has a disability, but this does not stop him putting other people first.  

He works tirelessly to engage with the local youth community and prevent anti-social behaviour. This is done through local initiatives such as free rugby and boxing training etc in association with the parish council. In addition, Sean works closely with the police local neighbourhood team to ensure that there is a positive engagement with the young people of the parish. 

Sean also provides free basic life support (which includes using a defibrillator, dealing with choking, and anaphylactic shock) courses to members of the community with the support of the parish council who supplied the equipment. Sean has trained 100s of people and the benefit has been seen in the community.  In addition, Sean looks after the local defibrillators and has been instrumental in getting a bleed kit in the local community. 

Sean was also instrumental in having men and women’s health days in the local village hall working with the local primary care network. These events which will hopefully take place regularly have been very well received by the community 

In July, Sean will be doing free emergency first aid courses which are free to attend for the local community and will include dealing with catastrophic bleeding, breaks, strains etc. 

He has also been looking at health inequalities in the rural area and how this can be addressed for those members of the community who do not have access to transport, the internet etc. He believes that these inequalities need addressing.  

Sean is a big supporter of local crime prevention initiatives and is always looking at innovative ways to tackle crime and provide information to the public. He has worked with colleagues to ensure that there is CCTV in Meon Vale.