Bohemia Village Voice

By Nicole Barrett, Dec 2011

Nicole Barrett

My name is Nicole Barrett and I am the Neighbourhoodwatch (NHW) Co-ordinator for St Peter’s Road, Tower Road and Cloudesley Road.
I volunteered for this job as I believe that complaining about a problem isn’t going to make a difference. How can we expect things to get better if I am not willing to get involved myself?!
First and foremost, being in the NHW is no extra work, there is no form filling, no hour-long meetings and no patrolling of the streets. However it does involve saying “Hi!” to your neighbours, sharing things that we have seen or heard, reporting incidents and simply talking to each other.
A co-ordinator ensures that information reaches all other scheme members and encourages others to report any problems. We are not here to replace the police; residents simply talk to one another and share information. This might involve the odd cuppa. Issues raised by the group can be taken to the council and the police. The more members a scheme has, the easier it is to get the council and the police to listen.
As an example, last year a number of cars were damaged in St Peter’s Road. When my own car was damaged I reported it to the police and was astonished to find that my report was the only one. Through NHW, a further two residents reported their damage. I then took this information to the next Neighbourhood Policing Panel and within one week, unmarked police cars and patrols arrived and helped tackle the problem.
As a group we can change our neighbourhood and meet some pretty amazing people along the way. So the answer is simple: come on, let’s get to know each other.

Residents of St Peter’s Road, Tower Road and Cloudesley Road can contact Nicole directly on nicole.barrett@web.de
or 07734 453 031.