News

Read the latest news about the Safer Hastings Partnership, our recent achievements and new initiatives here…

SHP youth engagement project scoops Home Office award

The Safer Hastings Partnership has a scooped a prestigious Home Office award for its work to engage with young people in our town through schools competitions.

The Home Office regional director for the South East, John Scott, presented the Safer Hastings Partnership will the Tilley Award for the South East region at an East Sussex celebration of the recent crime reduction figures, including a Hastings reduction of 17% (2006/07 compared to 2007/08). Mr Scott has experienced our work to engage with young people first-hand, sitting on the judging panel of the SHP Schools Competition 2007 at the end of last year. He praised the SHP’s youth engagement work, quoting the Tilley Award judging panel, which said, “Very Impressive. This is a sustainable activity that changes behaviour in the target audience with positive reinforcement. It is not dependent on any one agency’s resource commitment and […] is simple yet effective.”

This is the second instance of national recognition within the last month, as the SHP’s Communications Manager, Natalie Williams, was a finalist and commended in the Local Government Communicator of the Year category at the National Good Communication Awards ceremony held at the Arsenal Emirate’s Stadium at the end of June.

Chief Inspector Andy Gooch, chair of the SHP, said, “It’s fantastic to be part of this award-winning partnership, because these awards recognise the innovative work we are doing here in Hastings to make people safer. Since the schools competitions launched, we have seen a significant reduction in the repeat victimisation of 11-18-year-olds, down from 10.4% in 2003 to 2.9% in 2007.

“We are also working hard to convince our residents that crime is falling in Hastings & St Leonards and has been for several years. Since the schools competitions began, we’ve seen a significant change in public perception, with the number of respondents in Partnership surveys stating youth crime as an issue of concern to them falling from 91% in 2004 to 29% in 2007.”

SHP launches new schools competition

FOLLOWING the Safer Hastings Partnership (SHP) winning a Home Office award in July for its schools competitions, we are now inviting pupils from all schools and colleges in Hastings & St Leonards to enter the SHP Schools Competition 2008.

This year’s competition gives local pupils the chance to win a Nintendo Wii games console, DS Lite, iPod Shuffle or Odeon Hastings cinema tickets for themselves, plus a digital camcorder for their school/college. All students are asked to do is come up with ideas for a 30-second film clip for the Partnership’s award-winning 11-screen community TV network, SHP-TV. Sponsors of the competition this year are Sussex Police, Hastings & Rother Primary Care Trust, Odeon Hastings and the White Rock Theatre. Pupils are invited to submit storyboards outlining their idea for a short film clip about the following themes: The dangers of young people drinking alcohol; Bullying (e.g. cyber-bullying, prejudice-based bullying); Vandalism; Graffiti; Deliberate fire-setting. “Very effective in identifying talent and creativity with very positive results. To see their ideas translated onto the big screen gives young people a tremendous boost” FILSHAM VALLEY TEACHER

This year the winning primary school, secondary school and 6th form/college storyboards will be made into animated film clips and broadcast on SHP-TV and www.saferhastings.co.uk for three months, featuring the name of the winning pupil and their school or college’s logo.

Once again we have a Senior Home Office Official on the judging panel, along with representatives of the SHP, Hastings Borough Council, Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Sussex Police Authority, Odeon Hastings, the local Primary Care Trust, the White Rock Theatre and CCN Ltd, the company behind SHP-TV.

Entries must be received by the Safer Hastings Partnership no later than midday on 24th October 2008.

Short-listed primary school, secondary school and college/ 6th form pupils, their parents and staff at short-listed schools will be invited to attend the Awards Ceremony at the White Rock Theatre at 6.30pm on 3rd December 2008.

All competition details, plus full terms and conditions, can be found at: www.saferhastings.co.uk, where staff and entrants can also find storyboard examples & previous winning entries.

Mike Fagan, Community Safety Manager with the SHP, said, “We were delighted to receive almost 500 entries last year, and to see more than 200 pupils, parents and teaching staff at the awards night.

“These competitions enable us to find out what our young people think about community safety and what issues matter to them.”

“I feel like I’m doing my part for the community. The competition made me think about how small acts of anti-social behaviour have a big impact”
HASTINGS SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT

KICK-OFF FOR FOOTBALL PROJECT

A NEW HASTINGS football league for teenagers has been set up by Sussex Police, in conjunction with the Safer Hastings Partnership and Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.

Starting in January, the Hastings Friday Evening Football Invitation League is open to local boys and girls aged 12-17. The 6-a-side matches will take place from January to July, culminating in a tournament in the summer. The top three teams will then be given the opportunity to play in a tournament organised by Brighton & Hove Albion FC. PCSO Kim O’Connor, who is organising the league, said, “We want to provide this new league for local young people who play football but don’t have the opportunity to play competitive matches against other teams. “It’s also a chance for teams to play other young people from different parts of the town, hopefully breaking down barriers between groups and improving relations with ethnic minority groups.”

Skills will be taught by Brighton & Hove Albion staff at the launch night, which will be held at Horntye Sports Park from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Friday 16th January 2009.

There will be two leagues - one for 12-14- year-olds; the other for 15-17-year-olds. Each team must consist of eight players, so six on the pitch with two substitutes. Teams must be same sex, though male teams will play female teams in the league.

The project is funded by the Safer Hastings Partnership, Sussex Police, Ore Valley Forum and other agencies, and is also supported by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, the Youth Development Service, Amicus Horizon Housing Association and Active Hastings (Hastings Borough Council).

With most costs being met by the agencies above, the fee per team has been kept to just £1 per week. Matches will be played every Friday night from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

To register your team, contact PCSO Kim O’Connor on 07810 757668 or via email: kim.oconnor@sussex.pnn.police.uk. Or simply turn up to the launch event on Friday 16th January.