Our Watch was formed in August 2018, set up with the assistance of Toby Grainger the Chair at the time. We managed to secure £1,000 donated by Rhondda Cynon Taff Crime Reduction Team.

The Watch was originally set up to deter and prevent crime in the area after lots of vehicle thefts and shed burglaries, so the Community decided to pull together and pay for various Community events. The monies raised would cover the Watch for paper, photocopying, and printer ink for tickets/posters, Newsletters and letters.

Currently, the Chair is Sarah Collins. Vice-Chair - Kevin Roberts, Secretary - Jazzmine Roberts and Committee members of Kevin Rankin (Nicknamed Storm) and PCSO 56363 Williams. We also have a sub-committee and Street Representatives that assist us for events and passage of information along with the distribution of newsletters and subscription letters.

Sarah, Jazzmine, Kevin and Storm, conducted a kids' Christmas Party, two Halloween parties and a Nataly Churchill Spiritualist evening. All the money made from the ticket sales were then match funded by Sarah who fortunately for us, also works in the local branch of Barclay’s Bank and has doubled our funds quickly. Sarah is also is the Treasurer and successfully applied (last year) for the Tesco’s Blue-Chip/Coin Scheme. The scheme places a blue-chip/coin into a Perspex box at the front of local Tesco stores. We came third and the Watch was awarded £1,000. We have raised £8,340 to purchase CCTV in the Community in the last two years.

Jazzmine has recently been assisting RCT County Borough Council with the Community Volunteer Scheme. This scheme helps the elderly/shielding and most vulnerable people in the Community by collecting prescriptions and shopping. So far, she has delivered 92 combined shops and prescriptions whilst in lockdown. She also writes up our Minutes for the monthly meetings but, over the lockdown has set up ZOOM meetings which have kept the Watch up to date and continuing planning for the months ahead.

Kevin Roberts as recently secured an additional £7,596 from the National Lottery Community Fund Wales and has purchased two Defibrillators, training equipment such as Resuscitation mannequins and some money for training members of the Community. He has also just applied to the local Town Council for a £200 grant for NHW signs. He is very good at the artwork and produces posters and tickets for our events.

Kevin Rankin (Storm) has recently raised approximately £1,804 for Foodbanks for the most vulnerable in the Community and attended Pontypridd Sainsbury in his Star Wars, Storm Trooper uniform (hence the nickname) and also appeared at the Christmas Fete. Storm, is a massive asset to the Watch as well as his experience in Data protection and CCTV cameras.

Our Community Police Officer, Warren Williams had the idea to set up the NHW and has raised £350 from running the Lake Vyrnwy Dam Buster Half Marathon. He has also ran the Liverpool Rock and Roll Half Marathon for Pontypridd Rugby Football Club (RFC), CCTV cameras and raised £320. Before this, he set up Lower Graigwen NHW because there was a lot of Anti-Social Behaviour in the area. He ran the Cardiff Half Marathon and raised £320 for their CCTV cameras.

To date, we have the Committee running a Facebook hub, of over 1000 members and a Twitter account, so that we can communicate effectively and act in a timely manner if there are issues or concerns within the Community. Having been in lockdown we have all learned on how to use ZOOM and utilize this for Committee meetings. We are planning to extend this to the community in the next few months.

Force area or association: South Wales
Email: NHWTeam@gmail.com
Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/198663424045339/