What follows is an edited version of PC Pete’s talk given at the Winter Gardens on 15 June 2006.
Together is a project which will tackle problems that exist in Ventnor.
It will be run by the local community along with the support of local agencies, such as housing, the police, the schools, the church, the council, the youth service, crime and disorder partnership and the press.
It is a project for people with positive energy not negativity.
It will be a team of local people working together to problem solve and set up projects to make Ventnor a better place to live, work and visit.
This group will have established contacts within the agencies and this will aid the problem solving initiatives.
The energy that the community puts in will have the ultimate effect on the success of this group. There will be hurdles and things that are seemingly impossible to achieve. But the energy of the people and their willingness to solve together can get over, under, round or through these hurdles.
Together will look at a number of initiatives and will be a central working group to start neighbourhood, residential and business programmes.
The voice of the people of Ventnor will mould the shape of the group. It will tackle local issues that directly affect its people. This may be the dog fouling on the pavements, littering, poor lighting or the groups of youth that hang around street corners at night engaging in antisocial behaviour.
Many of the people who have contacted me to get involved in this project know that the youth of Ventnor are generally good and not intent on crime.
The group will look at community projects that involve the youth from the outset and engage them in more positive activities.
Together will listen to the people and work towards resolutions to their problems. The problems will not be of individuals but those of the community.
They will share the responsibility for tasks which will make the problem resolution more achievable. An example could be dog fouling. We could look to tackle it in a number of ways; a poster campaign, more doggie bins, the provision of pooper scoopers or by prosecuting offenders – the owners not the dogs.
Together will have five main objectives – some of these are longer term and some ongoing.
These are:
1. Better communication.
Already we have an established web site dedicated to things going on around Ventnor.
It publicizes good work, highlights important community concerns and helps promote local businesses and people.
That site is Ventnorblog, it has a forum that you can post items on and then sit back and see the response from other members of public.
We are also working on a youth website for the youth of Ventnor. In the same way they can have an input into promoting themselves and shouting about what they would like in Ventnor.
I must say that Ventnorblog is not just for adults. Kids are more than welcome to have an input although there is a registration process, but this does not exclude anybody other than those trying to post items that are offensive.
We also have the South Wight Chronicle which works, more traditionally on paper and is actively read within the community.
It again deals with local issues, people and the future of Ventnor. Ann has kindly agreed to include a regular ‘Together’ article so that people can keep track on the progress made.
Other members of the community and I have recognised the need for community notice boards within the town.
They will provide essential information about contact details for the Police and other agencies. They could also be used to support articles that Ventnorblog and The Chronicle report on.
2. More Community Involvement.
We need to celebrate the fact that we have a community.
I have lived and worked in the big city and across other places on the Island and none of them in my opinion has a stronger community than Ventnor.
We need to utilise the facilities and skills that we have in Ventnor. Some of these facilities are under used and an example of this is the Rew Valley Sports centre, which I have been told is close to going under because lack of custom. Communication may have had an affect on this and the proposed community notice boards will hopefully assist.
There are a number of excellent groups that are already working within Ventnor. These range from music workshops, art groups and computer courses.
These are not only a way to learn new skills but to meet new people within our community. We have a fantastic range of people here who need to be encouraged supported and learnt from.
We have suggested events to take place on the beach during the summer holidays. Volleyball and mini volleyball played at the end of the summer’s day. It would be great if the people involved could clean up the beach before setting up and I have spoken to local businesses who would support this in various ways.
I already have an offer from one to buy the equipment and another who would be willing to provide snacks and drinks for the participants. There have been offers of coaching and teams have already been put forward wanting to get involved. This would be a great way of various ages getting involved together.
There is big interest in setting up a local boxing club. Coaching and funding for the ring have already been offered.
We are now actively looking for a suitable site. This would be a great project for Ventnor and would really give the youth something that they want.
Projects like these may take some time to get off the ground but with more community support and energy they will be easier to achieve.
3. Cross Generational Integration
This without doubt is probably one of the hardest things to achieve and will have a massive affect on the community and its wellbeing.
The youth of Ventnor need to understand that the older generations are not all trying to persecute them and criticise them. They do have valuable life experiences which could help the youth of today. But the older generations have to firstly understand that we live in a different society than when we were young.
The perception of the older generations is that the youngsters are druggies, muggers and always drunk.
I speak with these youths on a regular basis and this is not the case.
I can certainly recall no street robberies that took place in Ventnor since I have been on the Island which is five years.
The youth and older generations need to be brought closer together.
Family set ups have changed. Children don’t see their grandparents as part the daily routine as it used to be.
This is a change in society and this can not be changed.
I do not know what the solutions are but the group will endeavour to find the right mediums to get the generations to communicate more positively and understand each other.
The youth are already involved in this project and want to be supported by more youth involvement. A youth community café is a long term project which the youth have already identified as a want.
4. Reducing the fear of crime.
This has a massive effect on the community.
The police have an enormous part to play; making sure that offenders are prosecuted and that victims are supported throughout the criminal justice process.
There will be people who do not want to conform or play a positive part in the community.
Together will be able to deal with low level concerns, leaving the Police the time to concentrate on these offenders and crime.
It is planned in the future to carry out a ‘road show’ involving all the agencies, local businesses and groups.
This could include safety and crime prevention advice.
As your local officer I have made myself more available to you, than any officer has been before. You are able to contact me directly through my email and my personal mobile telephone.
As the community grows stronger and becomes more aware of its people it will become obvious that Ventnor is one of the safest places to live.
We live in a great town with good people and good values. We have to work together to maintain this.
5. Problem Solving
This will take the form of listening to the community of Ventnor and working towards solving the regular problems or concerns that it has.
Not every problem can be solved, but we can work together to manage them so that they do not get worse.
I have been told about a facility that the group and community can use, which will send out questionnaires asking the public about their concerns.
These will then be collated and the results will form the agenda for the group to action.
Agencies will then be pulled in to assist in the resolution process utilising their skills and experience.
Together is a positive step towards improving Ventnor for its community.
Its focus will be in various areas with the intention of supporting the local community. I anticipate from it will come a shop watch, neighbourhood watches, and other community groups.
We have a great community here and we need to preserve it.
By working together we can solve together so that we can enjoy together.
