Senior leadership from Neighbourhood Watch Network England and Wales and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland (NWS) met in Edinburgh to discuss opportunities for closer collaboration.
The Association of Scottish Neighbourhood Watches was established in 2006 and became a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) in 2011, rebranding as Neighbourhood Watch Scotland. The change of identity was designed to better reflect the organisation's identity and aims. Today, NWS employs a central team supporting over 670 registered schemes across Scotland, covering more than 58,000 households.
Although NWS has separate funding, structure and processes, both organisations share similar missions and visions: reducing crime and supporting community building.
Lesley Clark, Director of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, said:
"Neighbourhood Watch Scotland is committed to building stronger and safer communities. We can do that best by building better relationships, sharing best practice and amplifying our membership voice. This was a positive and practical conversation, and I'm confident we'll be able to find ways to pool our talents, skills and resources more effectively."
John Hayward-Cripps, Chief Executive of Neighbourhood Watch Network England and Wales, said:
"We are finalising our new strategy and as we look to the future, we are committed to a Britain where neighbours look out for each other. Collaboration drives innovation, and the strength of Neighbourhood Watch as a movement is the impact we have at a local level, regardless of where we live. We share the same aim as our Scottish colleagues: to make our communities safer and better places to live. This conversation is about how we might achieve that more effectively."