ABOUT THIS ORGANISATION

AND THE

STREET CONTACT’S ROLEAn interactive computer

based information resource for ‘Street Contact’ volunteers.

NEXT

About this presentation

This presentation is intended for citizens who care about their community and would like to know more about the ‘Neighbourhood Support’ organisation and its aims.

Allow about 15 minutes to read the information and complete the quiz on the last few pages.

It’s based on the information found on the national Neighbourhood Support website and from the valuable experience of volunteers who have been ‘Street Contacts‘ for some years.

Note:All people involved in Neighbourhood Support in each community are volunteers. Most, but not all Neighbourhood Support committees, are registered Charitable Entities.

BACK NEXT

About Neighbourhood Support

‘Neighbourhood Support New Zealand Incorporated’ was established in 1999 to promote and support the development of Neighbourhood Support in New Zealand communities.

A committee of 12 elected District Delegates and deputies meet quarterly.

Neighbourhood Support works closely with the Police and many other organisations in your community to reduce crime, improve safety and prepare to deal with emergencies and natural disasters.

Local Bodies such as

BACK NEXT

Aims and Groups

AimsNeighbourhood Support aims:• Promote Neighbourliness• Promote safety in the community• Assist civil emergency services when requested

Neighbourhood Support GroupsNeighbourhood Support Groups enable people to • share information, • ideas • and insights.

FundingLocal Committees and street groups are funded by donations and grants (if any).

BACK NEXT

A Neighbourhood Support Group will:

Promote Neighbourliness• Encourage neighbours to talk to each other• Share information that will help reduce the risk and fear of crime• Help foster a sense of community spirit, where everyone is respected and valued.

How we help our community…

BACK NEXT

A Neighbourhood Support Group will:Promote Neighbourliness

Promote safety in the community• Educate and empower neighbours to take responsibility for their own safety• Identify the needs of neighbours and ways to assist each other• Identify the strengths and skills of neighbours to contribute to solving local problems• Help minimise burglaries and car crime in the local area• Reduce the opportunity for graffiti, vandalism, violence and disorder• Enhance the safety features and appearance of the neighbourhood

Assist civil emergency services when requested• Assist authorities to handle any civil emergencies that may occur locally• Know when and how to contact Police, other emergency services or support agencies• Liaise and co-operate with other community groups.

How we help our community…

BACK NEXT

Managing a Street GroupHow big should a group be?• Keep it manageable. About 10 - 20 families perhaps? • Say 4 houses on either side of you, plus 6 opposite?• You can invite more or less if you wish – it’s your

choice. There can be several groups in one long street, or just one big group.

Do we need to hold meetings?• Yes, face to face contact is the best way for people

to get to know each other.• Meet three times a year perhaps?• No more than 30 or 40 minutes may be best.

Where do we hold meetings?• How about on the footpath or verge? Bring your own cup of tea or coffee?• On someone’s patio, or perhaps in a suitable room? • Above all, keep it simple and short

BACK NEXT

What do we talk about at the meeting?

Promote Neighbourliness• Encourage neighbours to talk to each other• Share information that will help reduce the

risk and fear of crime• Help foster a sense of community spirit

where everyone is respected and valued.

Remember this from an earlier screen?

Here are some discussion starters:1. Introduce new people who have moved in and ask

them to share where they are from and any work skills and interests etc that they are comfortable sharing.

2. Share any information you have received from the Police, or the Neighbourhood Support Committee.

3. Introduce any issues members have raised with you.4. Ask if there are any concerns they would like discussed.

NEXTBACK

How do we keep in touch regularly?

The first thing to remember about communicating with people is that they all have varying preferences:• Some say give me a call on the phone.• Others say text me.• Others say send me an email or a face book message.• Maybe someone else prefers a personal visit.• And yet others say put a note in my letterbox.• The “Neighbourly” website may be the best tool of all.

How do we cope with all these?Probably the best way is to settle on two or three methods.• Send texts to all who have cell phones and can text,• Send emails as well to all with email addresses.• Slip a paper note in the letter box of those without texts or email.

And most important of all:• Send the notice several times.• Finally, send a reminder several hours before the meeting or event.

NEXTBACK

Administration – keep it simpleWe are not kidding - the less work the better.

You will need the following:1. A list of your street members for your own reference

• Name of adults • Street and email address • Phone contact numbers

2. Subscribe the members to any newsletters the local committee sends out.3. Provide members with a link to the Committee website, Facebook page or

Neighbourly site. 4. And that’s it…… Like we said – keep it simple . All this fits on one sheet of

paper.

If they all join “Neighbourly” then you may not need most of the above.

Here is an example Neighbourhood Support website a sample newsletter.a link to the “Neighbourly” website and to the “Face Book” page.

BACK NEXT

Keep yourself informedLike any effective leader at work or in the community, you need to keep yourself well informed.

If you want people to come to your meetings, then you need to attend the local Neighbourhood Support Meeting for street coordinators two or three times a year to keep yourself abreast of developments in the community.

Don’t wait for the committee to inform you. Seek out your own sources such at the Neighbourhood Support Committee website, any FaceBook or Neighbourly pages they may have, and any bulletins from the local Community Board which may have issues in it that could affect your street.

Remember: pass on information sent to you by the Police and the Committee promptly so it is current and not out of date.

So - get out there and meet your neighbours and discover for yourself the strengths and skills they may have that will contribute to the safety and neighbourliness of your street.

BACK NEXT

Supporting eventsThere is one event each year that is promoted nationally and is designed to assist Neighbourhood Support groups get their members together for a picnic or fun, and meet and get to know each other.

It’s an excuse for a party really.Its called ‘Neighbours Day’ and it’s held on the last weekend in March each year.

The Street Contact role is to communicate this to the group and encourage them to collectively arrange the meeting. If they arrange it, they are more likely to participate. It could be:• A short meeting in the street.• A picnic lunch in the nearest reserve.• Or a bigger event with several groups joining together

and perhaps organising teams and games.

Most Councils support the event. View the national website.

BACK NEXT

Check your understanding

1. The local Neighbourhood Support organisation is:

Click the statement you believe to be correct.

A Government Dept with a number of paid staff at each level.

An incorporated charity or organisation located in each community and staffed totally by volunteers.

Donations from the community and grants applied for by the local committees.

The Government through the NZ Police.

2. Neighbourhood Support Committees and Street Groups are funded by:

BACK NEXT

This is an opportunity to see check your understanding of the information.

Check your understanding

3. The main aim of Neighbourhood Support is:

Click the statement you believe to be correct.

1. To promote neighbourliness2. Promote safety in the community3. Assist civil emergency services when

requested.

Organise and monitor the community so that is it a safer place

4. The most effective size of street groups are suggested as:

Needs to be the whole street. It’s more effective as it gives economy of scale.

10 - 20 households. This is thought to be an appropriate size for one volunteer to lead, but it can be more or less.

BACK NEXT

Check your understanding

5. Communicating with members is

best done by:

Click the statement you believe to be correct.

Using a variety of methods that suit themembers of the street group.

Use a website or similar facility and encourage members to check every week.

6. There is one national event that street groups are encouraged to take part in. It is:

‘Have a Go Day’ for all voluntary organisations and is held centrally in the community.

Neighbours Day which is generally celebrated by each street group although some may combine for the event.

BACK NEXT

This module has been completed

Congratulations. You have completed this information module.

We hope that now you are better informed about the aim of ‘Neighbourhood Support’ and its method of operation, and that you will accept the role of ‘Street Contact’.

We can almost guarantee that you will grow and develop as a person and in doing so will help make your street a safer and even more pleasant place to live.

BACK EXIT

Module created by David Thorpe, for the Bucklands Beach/Pakuranga Neighbourhood Support Team

Like help to take the next step? Email: info@nsupport.co.nz

Congratulationsyou clearly understand how Neighbourhood Support operates.

BACK

SorryNeighbourhood Support is not a Government Dept. It is an Incorporated Charity, supported by the Justice Dept at a National level, but not at local level.

BACK

SorryThe NZ Police do not help fund Neighbourhood Support although they do support the local committee and street coordinators with their time and skills.

BACK

Congratulationsyou clearly understand how Neighbourhood Support operates.

BACK

SorryNeighbourhood Support do not organise and monitor the community so that is it a safer place.

The focus is on communicating with the neighbourhoods and encouraging them to behave in a neighbourly fashion and make their street a safer place to live in.

BACK

SorryUsually the whole street is thought to be too big for most volunteers to effectively communicate with, but it does depend on the skills of the individual.

About 10 - 20 households seems to be about right for most volunteers, but it can be less.

BACK

Congratulationsyou clearly understand how Neighbourhood Support operates.

BACK

Sorry‘Have a Go Day’ for all voluntary organisations that is held centrally in the community is not an appropriate answer.

Neighbours Day is the nationally promoted event and street groups are encouraged to celebrate it in a way that suits the members in their street.

BACK

SorryRelying on a website or similar facility is unlikely to be effective as people are not all the same when it comes to their preferred method of receiving messages.

BACK

Congratulationsyou clearly understand how Neighbourhood Support operates.

BACK