Community & Development
About the Community
Communities are made form a diverse range of people. Each person has a story of their journey here. We believe improvement is achieved when a community is together and through partnership with other organisations.
Our Community initiative has a number of campaigns. Each idea is based upon a theory of engage, react and achieve. To engage with the residents or businesses about their concerns or ideas, react by working in partnership with the local community and organisations and to achieve by delivering an outcome, acceptable for all and one that benefits the area.
Community Meetings
Project Southchurch hold 3 community meetings per year.
This is an opportunity for residents and businesses to keep updated on what is happening in the area from Project Southchurch, Community Police Teams and Local Councillors. It also gives the audience the chance to ask questions. We also invite some guest speakers from our partners, organisations or agencies.
The meetings are recorded and broadcast at a later date by Southend City Radio.
General Election Special
In the 2024 General Election we partnered Southend Foodbank in hosting a hustings for our constituency. This was the first time for many years one was held in the East.
The event was held in a respectful atmosphere with each candidate giving the opportunity to present their opening statements and answers. Of the 7 candidates standing 6 were present.
The evening was independently chaired by Pam Davies.
Please click on the link if you want to hear the meeting, recorded by Southend City Radio.
Get Together.
Our Community meetings are really well attended, to which we are grateful. We do realise, however, that we need to reach out to more people.
There is generally time between our 2nd and 3rd Community meetings to add in a Get Together event.
Get Together is a chance for us to travel the four wards Project Southchurch covers. A smaller meeting where we can talk about what we are doing in the area and in particular the individual wards. We will be joined, where possible, by local ward councillors and PCSO’s responsible for the specific area.
Please visit our Social Media Sites for details or contact us.
StreetSafe
The growth of crime is a priority issue for the community and we aim to work with the police to tackle the problem. This will require working in partnership with residents and businesses, through our StreetSafe campaign.
We will work with council and other partners to agree a joint strategy to make our area safer. We will campaign for improved lighting in doorways, public places and secluded areas. Encourage the council to make use of available technologies in areas of concern. Through StreetSafe, we will help to identify those ‘High Risk’ areas where action is urgently needed.
Through this initiative our primary aim is to encourage people to report incidents. The reassurance that all information provided is important and all details are giving in complete confidence. The knowledge that, although reports may not be responded to immediately, all information is important to build a picture. A collation of facts to build intelligence, to be used proactively at a later date - vital to protecting a community.
To help build a rapport between the relevant agencies, residents and businesses, we will hold events promoting the channels that can be used to report your concerns. We will use all communication techniques available to put the message across to the wider community. We aspire to develop facilities where cyber bullying can be reported and vulnerable groups can share other concerns feeling comfortable and secure.
Hate crime continues to grow as an extremely concerning issue. We aspire to develop a point where such vile and cowardly acts can be reported.
We will support all outreach programmes that operate to combat modern slavery. Providing assistance to schemes managed by relevant agencies to rehabilitate and offer.
Open Gates.
We were delighted to be able to facilitate the trial of Open Gates/ Knife Detection Poles between Essex Police Southend and Westminster Security.
The trials were successful and we now have 2 pairs of gates operational within the city, with a third one due.
The equipment is easier to install logistically and allows Essex Police increased flexibility in locations, allowing greater response to situations that may arise on the day.
We are proud to have played our small part in the security of our City
Connected Vision
We will campaign for better lighting and security. Request the installation of CCTV within areas of public transport, recreational, points of high footfall and other locations of concern.
In addition we will support the introduction of a separate register, to list the location of private CCTV on homes and businesses. This register would be a voluntary declaration from residents and business owners for their details to be included on the ‘Network’.
To simplify Connected Vision, the initiative will be split into level 1 and level 2.
Level 1 is a campaign to increase locations on the current CCTV network. Focussing on public transport hubs, leisure facilities and other areas of intensive footfall . Increasing the safety of all.
Level 2 is a centrally located database, accessed only by police. Providing the possibility of more time effective searches or investigation of incidents. The database will quickly locate private, public and business premises with CCTV, signed to the scheme, in specific arears.
The system isn’t live, just an information database
Coffee & Chat with Clive.
Our Community Chaplain helps us in so many ways. One of his passions is to meet and talk to people, to help or simply listen.
He hosts a number of ‘drop in’ events at a number of locations throughout the community. Pop along and say hello. If you want company, a listening ear, signposting to assistance or encouragement, whatever your journey, all conversations will be in confidence.
All dates are shared on our Social Media sites or contact us for details.
Parks, Benches & Trees.
Together with Southend City Council Parks Team we spruced up the play area, added benches and planted trees in Christchurch Park.
From this first step we will keep our eye on other parks and play areas within the community.
We are currently in talks with Southend City Council about the poor state of the play area in Southchurch Park.
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