We are incredibly proud of our journey through the past 40 years and equally excited about our future. Scroll down to learn more about our past, present and future or click here for an interactive experience.
Past
Our journey
1982 - The first UK groups start
18 years later, the first UK schemes begin, in response to spates of local burglaries. They’re known as Home Watch and are based in Mollington (Cheshire), Harpenden (Hertfordshire), Chorleywood (Hertfordshire), South Wales, and Bedford (Bedfordshire). The Bedford group was set up in Chaucer Road by Colleen Atkins (pictured) who continues to volunteer for Neighbourhood Watch 40 years on. From 1982, we grow from strength to strength as more volunteers across England and Wales form local, county, and regional groups.
1992 - Membership rises dramatically
Membership rises as Neighbourhood Watch connects those who are isolated and more vulnerable with other community members. Research shows over 80% of households across England and Wales would join a Neighbourhood Watch scheme if there was one locally, encouraging even more schemes to start.
Present
2021 - Local Neighbourhood Watch groups continue to grow
HertsWatch grow its membership from 20,000 in 2006 to over 162,000 households. This makes them the largest Neighbourhood Watch community in the country. Over a third of homes in the area receive Neighbourhood Watch messages.
2021 - We partner with Deliveroo
We join forces with Deliveroo for a unique training programme. The programme trains their riders about crime prevention and spotting the signs of hidden crimes. Topics include modern slavery, county lines and domestic abuse.
2021 - We launch our student safety initiative
Together with Co-op Insurance, we launch our national student safety initiative. This includes The Lookout magazine – written by students, for students. The first Student Council takes place, to help lead and shape the future of Student Watch.
2022: We launch our Diversity and inclusion statement
We launch our Diversity and inclusion statement. It sets out our intention to:
- - be a more inclusive, diverse network
- - commit to removing barriers to inclusion
Future
2022 - Expanding our partnerships
We held our first-ever Neighbourhood Watch Crime Conference in 1986 in Northumbria, chaired by Sir Stanley Bailey Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, and attended by then Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd with a speech from Colleen Atkins representing Neighbourhood Watch. In 1988 Crime Concern was set up by the government under Nigel Whiskin and funded by the Home Office concentrating on crime prevention and one strand of their work was Neighbourhood Watch. They held annual Crime Concern conferences. In addition, for several years, General Accident sponsored Crimecheck Conferences for Neighbourhood Watch that were held in major towns across the country.
In 2022 our Neighbourhood Watch Crime Conference in May with partners will bring together our volunteers with a range of partners to:
- - highlight crimes and other issues affecting diverse communities
- - broaden the accessibility of crime prevention advice and activity.
2023 - Improving engagement with the police
We will work with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) on a framework for supporting each other. We will work with the police and our volunteers to roll out this framework across England and Wales.
2025 - The first step in connecting communities
By 2025, we’ll be the most popular gateway for citizens to engage in their locality. We’ll provide the first step for connecting with neighbours for mutual support. We’ll also offer simple ways to build on that first step with voluntary and community sector partners.