2022

During 2022 the Neighbourhood Network the small team continued to work closely with other local and national organisations on partnership projects, to support safer and healthier communities. Organisations in 2022 included:

Humber Modern Slavery Partnership – Humberside Police – University of Hull – Hull City Council – Hull CVS – Environment Agency – Hull Community Safety Partnership – HEY Confident Futures – National Neighbourhood Watch Network – North Lincolnshire Council – East Riding of Yorkshire Council – Voluntary Action North East Lincs (VANEL) – East Riding Voluntary Action Services (ERVAS) – Hull CCG – FraudWatch – Fitmum & Friends – City Health Care Partnership CIC – Spin Off Productions – Victim Support

The charity is keen to maximise opportunities for its beneficiaries, by attending and contributing to the many networks across the city. For 2022, they included Hull Champions Network, Hull Engager’s Network and Be Connected Network; brought together by key organisations to support each other on sharing key messages and campaigns. The NN Team have also continued to be a funding panel member for the Bransholme Trust administered by Hull CVS and during 2022, £13,000 was distributed amongst good causes in the Bransholme area of the city.

During 2022, the NN team continued to work closely with Humberside Police and Hull City Council, working on several joint initiatives. This work included attending 17 bike registering events across the Humber region promoting the ‘Lock or Lose it’ project.  The team also partnered on delivering a Hate Crime webinar as part of the ‘Keep Connected’ project. Other work included joint Crime Prevention sessions delivered to community groups and information stands at the Community Safety Hub in Hull City Centre.  The NN Team has continued to share police comms with 206 messages included in the weekly newsletter including witness appeals, arrests, and force wide campaigns.

The NN team continued to support HCC Ward Coordinators and Councillors in connecting them with resident led groups within their areas, along with attending area specific events and ward meetings.  During 2022 the team were approached by an area coordinator to look at developing a community led group in the Graham Avenue area of Hull.  The council had received complaints regarding a green space off Graham Avenue and wanted to encourage the local residents to take ownership of this area and requested the NN support in doing so. 

Continuing into 2022, the Menopuas’ull Support Network, (MSN) funded by the Ideas Fund gathered a new pace and the partnership work with the University of Hull started on 1^st February with the Healthy Bones programme. This pilot project with the Biomechanics department was aimed at menopausal women who were identified as being at risk from osteopenia / osteoporosis. The programme was a success for all involved – see what the attendees had to say about the impact at Menopaus’ull Support Network – Achievements in Year 1 (youtube.com)

The Menopaus’ull Team organised many activities and events throughout 2022, including three social events with a trip to the theatre, an axe throwing activity and a mini golf evening. Three Menopaus’ull cafes were hosted, 72 ladies attended midlife Health MOT’S, 12 ladies accessed talking therapy, 18 webinars were delivered with 233 attendees, 18 walk and Talks were organised with 40 attendees (see photo) and by the end of 2022 the Facebook group had 913 members.  During 2022 the team designed the MSN website, having a ‘Go to’ place where resources and information could be shared, to view the website visit www.mnetwork.org.uk.

To celebrate the end of the first year of this project, the team organised a Menopause awareness event in Hull City Centre in partnership with Emma Hardy MP, attracting over 25 local businesses which offered support for menopausal ladies, including businesses which offer exercise activities, craft and social activities, complimentary therapies, health organisations and many more.  The team secured 6 speakers on the day to offer expert focused discussions on menopausal topics which was well received from the audience, along with the team manning a menopause café throughout the day.  The event was very well attended with over 500 people attending on the day and businesses connecting with other businesses and highlighting their interest in attending future events.  The team received lots of positive feedback from the day:

“WOW! What a great event, very well organised and had a wealth of information for women to take away”. Menopause Hull event attendee

“So pleased I got to speak to Dr Angela Wright, after her talk, what a great event, please let me know when you are doing the next one!” Menopause Hull event attendee

“It’s great that the menopause is getting talked about, it’s been hidden for too long and too many women are suffering in silence, thank you for bringing this to the attention of others, keep up the good work!”. Menopause Hull event attendee

The Lock it or lose it cycle crime reduction Project is its 6^th year of operation and through the website and attendance at community engagement events, the team have disseminated 345 Gold Secure D locks to the public during 2022. 

The online ‘Keep Connected sessions’ started in lockdown, continued into 2022 with topics such as Fraud, Romance Fraud, Home Security, What Modern Slavery looks like, and supporting victims of crime.  In total 8 webinars where delivered, with 110 delegates attending.

The Safer You project continues to be funded by the three ward areas (West Carr, North Carr & Kingswood) with a 4^th area (Sutton) being added during 2022. This partnership project involves receiving referrals from partners where vulnerable residents and victims of crime are referred into the NN for target hardening equipment. The project so far has supported 33 households with an average of £21.97 per household and given out 94 target hardening equipment items which have included items like door alarms, window alarms, hasp and staple locks, personal alarms, dummy CCTV cameras all being supplied.

Supporting Neighbourhood Watch support is at the core of the Neighbourhood Network’s outputs, and during 2022 the team helped in the formation of 4 NHW groups and signed up an additional 7 community led groups, schools, and charities across the city:

• 2 x None-for-profit organisations
• 3 x Community groups
• 1 x School
• 1 x Church
• 4 x NHW

In 2022, 25 connections facilitated by the NN team were recorded directly influencing a positive development. Examples include funding being drawn down to grassroot members, advice being given from the right people, capital investment such as new bins for the neighbourhood.

Now in its 5^th year, Humber Watch Association (HWA) grows from strength to strength, collaborating on shared information and connections across the Humber region along with representing HWA at National level. NHW During the last 12 months, the team have hosted 6 Humber Watch Association (HWA) meetings from their Hull office, inviting all members along to share best practice, manage panel meetings to discuss coordinator disputes across the region, along with looking at how each area can work together in delivering a unified message.  The team have also attended 5 national Neighbourhood Watch Network meetings, with the NN team being the key representative for HWA, these meetings have included force association lead meetings, NNHWN AGM, Cyberhood Watch meetings amongst others.

To celebrate 40 years of NHW the NN Team along with HWA members organised a celebratory event at the Country Park Inn, Hessle, inviting NHW coordinators across the Humber region to the event.  The event had guest speakers from Humberside Police, OPCC and NNHWN, along with a play delivered by local theatre company Spin Off Productions, on how people can become scammed within our communities and steps that people can make to help prevent this.  The event was a great success, with positive feedback from attendees being received from all 4 authority areas.

The NN team ended 2022 with the submission of an application to take over management of a community centre in the heart of Bransholme, a new direction and opportunity for the charity and its beneficiaries.