On Saturday 25 February I went to the Palitoy Estate in Coalville to support the local Neighbourhood Watch team.
The estate was built on the site of the old Palitoy factory and has streets named after the toys named there. I parked in Action Man Street, for instance. I was met by Craig, who is the Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for the whole of Leicestershire, and by Charlotte who looks after Coalville. They had put a note out on local social media advertising the litter pick and asking for volunteers. I was impressed by how many had turned out on a cold, windy day. After a pep talk and directions from Charlotte, we scattered across the estate and nearby green areas with out pickers and bags to see what could be found.
The majority of stuff was what you might expect - crisp packets and the like. But there were some surprises. I found five pieces from a jigsaw and a spent shotgun cartridge. Another chap came back with a computer terminal screen. Amazing what some people just dump on a bit of grass verge. We were out for about an hour or so, then slowly gathered back in Action Man Street. We piled up the bags of rubbish for them to be taken away later by the local North West Leicestershire Council.
The morning demonstrated clearly that Neighbourhood Watch can be a force for good across our city and two counties. It is not just about looking for suspicious activity, but is a pro-active group making our local communities safer and more pleasant. I would suggest that you find your nearest group and join up. You can find them through the county website Home | Neighbourhood Watch | National network | Local Watch areas | Community crime prevention groups (ourwatch.org.uk)
