Providing our volunteers with support and training is paramount to enabling our volunteers to carry out their roles within their communities. As a direct result of listening to our volunteers through focus groups, development teams and feedback about the support that they would like to receive, we have developed the Knowledge Hub.
On the Knowledge Hub, you can access resources to support our campaigns, guidance on managing member data for MSAs, safeguarding advice for volunteers, and much more.
What is the Knowledge Hub?
The hub is a bespoke online platform available to Neighbourhood Watch volunteers across England and Wales and provides support to our volunteers. It offers induction, training, support, and other resources to help our volunteers in their roles, albeit if you are a Coordinator, a Multi-Scheme Administrator or part of an Association. The pages within the Hub are updated regularly and we encourage our volunteers to be part of its development and let us know about new ideas for topics.
It offers peer support in the form of our online forums, set up for specific roles.
Who can have access to the Knowledge Hub?
All Neighbourhood Watch registered volunteers will all have access to the Knowledge Hub, such as:
- Coordinators (of schemes or groups)
- Association Committees & Officers
- Multi-Scheme Administrators (MSAs)
- Cyberhood Watch Ambassadors
- Community Champion
If you are not sure what role you are, please click on the roles and see if this best describes you.
The Knowledge Hub will soon be opening out to 'associate members'. To find out more about this email enquiries@ourwatch.org.uk.
Benefits of joining the hub:
- Bespoke to your role
- Early invitation to join events
- Printable resources
- Help videos
- Volunteer forums – specific to your role – so you can chat with other volunteers
- Personal development and training opportunities
Topics available for Coordinators:
- Getting started
- How to develop your scheme membership
- Exploring ways to communicate
- Activities that you could do within your scheme
- Connecting with your local policing teams
- Dealing with member concerns about crime
- How to resolve neighbour disputes
- Running local crime prevention campaigns
- Connecting with local partners
- Fundraising tips
- Social media help
What are the users of the Knowledge Hub saying about their experience
I like this hub and am especially glad to see how the different groups work together. Thank you.
Coordinator – Gloucester
Clear and easy to navigate. lots of potential help not just from the support teams but from other NWS volunteers. Looking forward to seeing it grow.
Coordinator – Greater Manchester
The knowledge hub is an excellent source of information and support, empowering those involved in NhW to maximise its potential.
Coordinator – Avon and Somerset
The pages are really easy to navigate and the information in them is so useful to me personally. I feel much more confident to do my role. I love the forum and having that ability to chat with other coordinators from across the country. Brilliant tool!
Coordinator - London
Really good, its simple, easy to navigate and well laid out, definitely for a engaged volunteer of NWN this is perfect, freeing up the general website.
Coordinator – Norfolk
However, I believe this Hub takes Neighbourhood Watch Network to another dimension in a very positive light. I like the set up and content and it will be interesting to see how it’s used compared to the official NWN website. There is some real potential with the Hub, and it will be interesting to see how it grows
Association Chair – Cumbria
Sounds great! How do I register for it?
We are delighted that all 43 police force areas across England and Wales have now received their invitation to join the Knowledge Hub. This means that all of our volunteers are now able to register their interest to join the hub.
If you are a registered volunteer you need to complete an online form to request access. You will be asked to confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to abide by our Code of Ethics and Standards, Data Protection Policy and our Volunteer Agreement.
The registration form can be found HERE.
Once we receive your completed form your request will be processed within 20 working days. If you are not registered on our central membership database (through our website) or on one of our dedicated volunteer programmes, We will check that you are registered with your Force Associations. This might take slightly longer to process. Once your request has been approved, you will be given unique sign in details.
If you are a volunteer but not yet registered with us, you can do so HERE.