I HOPE everyone is enjoying the half-term break and children are making good use of the Fab Feb activities funded by the partnership and put together by Wyre Forest District Council.

The Community Safety team have been busy over the last couple of weeks getting out and about, promoting the partnership’s Home Security Scheme. This scheme is one part of the partnership’s strategy to reduce burglary even further and offers reassurance by offering advice and basic home security products, free of charge.

The scheme supported Wolverley High School with the security of their 25 new bicycles, providing advice, locks and cycle marking kits. We hope that this initiative will also help to raise students’ awareness of bike security and encourage them to security mark their property and record it on the National Property Database at www.immobilise.com The scheme is constantly seeking new ways to engage with people in a bid to raise awareness and reduce crime. Members of the team, which included West Mercia Police, Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service and The Community Housing Group, took the police CCTV van to St Anne’s Primary School in Bewdley this month.

A hectic hour was spent talking to parents about home, personal and cycle security and the event went really well. Thanks to St Anne’s for accommodating us – and the van!

By the time you read this, Pete Aston, Crime Risk Advisor with West Mercia Police, will have given residents in Purcell House, Kidderminster, a talk about home and personal security and suitable security products will be available to help residents feel safer, all courtesy of the Home Security Scheme.

Don’t forget the Subway Deluxe 2.0 art project I mentioned last month – there is still time to get involved. Just turn up at 10am this Saturday at Comberton Hill subway to help give the other two pedestrian branches a fabulous makeover!

HELEN DYKE, Chairman