All the very best ...

Photo of Green Heart Den courtesy of Graham Bromley

Merry Xmas to you all and hope you have a great 2010. We're looking forward to an even safer, cleaner and stronger Central and Hindpool for 2010.

Thanks to everyone who's worked with us over the last 12 months and we look forward to more of the same, and better, next year.

Thanks to all the residents of Central and Hindpool who work with us, support us and join in our activities - without you we wouldn't be half as successful.

Enjoy your Xmas and New Year, keep safe, take care and have a great time.

Thought for the week ...

"All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Edmund Burke

Stall in Barrow Market ...

The stall went really well in Barrow Market today with lots of visitors picking up leaflets, free dog fouling bags, UV pens etc.

Lots of people also donated to the charity we were collecting for, Furness Homeless Support Group, which was really great.

The people of Barrow were very generous, including a couple of £10 donations, and in a few hours we raised £105.50.

Thanks very much for all your contributions, it was nice for us to meet lots of people and have a chat.

Come and see us in Barrow Market tomorrow

Visit us at our stall in Barrow Market tomorrow (Friday 18th) between 11am and 3pm.

We'll have lots of freebies - UV pens, dog fouling bags, Stubbies, leaflets and kids activity books. We've also got a wide range of stuff like frisbies, coloured pencils, cups, skipping ropes, pens etc etc which we're giving away for donations to Furness Homeless Shelter ... come and see us!

Share a Smile ...

See the first in the series of smiling faces here

Child safety online

The UK Council for Child Internet Safety brings together over 140 organisations and individuals to help children and young people stay safe on the internet and is made up of companies, government departments, law enforcement, charities, parenting groups, academic experts and others.

The strategy sets out what the UK Council for Child Internet Safety have done so far to keep children safe online; their commitments to parents, children and young people and the things they are planning to do to make them happen; and how you will know whether they are succeeding in making children and young people safer.

The strategy focuses on the next year, and this work starts with the launch of the Digital Code, which will be the basis of a public awareness campaign. Making children safer on the internet needs a long term partnership so the UK Council for Child Internet Safety will regularly measure progress over the next year and at the Second Child Internet Safety Summit in a year’s time they will look at this strategy to see how far they have come and what needs to be done in future years.

Read the strategy here.

Violent crime down by over 50% in Barrow town centre

A policing Operation in South Cumbria has been hailed a success after levels of violence in Barrow licensed premises dropped by over 50 per cent.

Operation Siskin was launched twelve months ago to target alcohol-related violence and disorder after community consultation identified alcohol-related issues as a top priority. Between April and November this year, violence in licensed premises in Barrow town centre has dropped by 51.9 per cent, assaults with injury have fallen by 11.5 per cent and overall violent crime in the area has reduced by 5.4 per cent compared to the same period last year.

This success is due to a range of initiatives by officers and partners in South Cumbria to tackle excessive alcohol consumption, underage sales and reduce alcohol-related offences such as the ‘Challenge 21’ campaign, UV torches to identify counterfeit ID and bar staff training. Licensed premises have also worked very closely with police to tackle local issues and improve the safety of the public.

Barrow Sergeant Ian McClymont said: “We have been working solidly all year round to address the community’s concerns about alcohol-related violence and disorder as part of our policing pledge, and I’m pleased to see that our efforts, with the support of partners, licensed premises and the community has started to pay off.

“Our efforts will continue right through the festive period so that people can be confident that they can enjoy themselves safely, without being subjected to fear, violence or aggravation.

“We want to build upon the success so far and will continue our vigilance with increased numbers of high visibility officers on the look out for potential troublemakers to diffuse incidents that could escalate into violence.

“Barrow is a great place for a night out and the majority of revellers are law abiding people who enjoy a safe and crime-free evening. However, there is a small minority of troublemakers who tend to consume too much alcohol and spoil evenings for others.

“We will be patrolling hotspot areas around the town centre and will be on hand to reassure the community and take early action to prevent violence and disorder.”

In July this year, police introduced Section 27 notices which are used under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 to remove potentially violent and disorderly individuals from the town centre. Officers will be utilising this power throughout the holiday season to remove potential offenders from the area.

Sgt McClymont continues: "Since the introduction of Section 27 notices in Barrow, over 200 people have been issued with a notice to leave the town centre for up to 48 hours. These have been very successful with the majority of people accepting the order, taking the opportunity to reflect on their actions - and those who have ignored police instructions have faced arrest and court proceedings.

“Over the last 18 months, police and partner agencies in the licensing trade, environmental health and fire service, have been working together to make the pubs and clubs a safer place for people to socialise.

“We want people enjoy themselves in the true spirit of the season and have a safe, healthy and violence-free Christmas.”

IN DETAIL:

VIOLENT CRIME
5.4 per cent overall reduction across Barrow town centre, Hindpool and Barrow Island from April – November 2008/9 to April-Nov 2009/10 (financial year to date). Incidents have dropped from 569 (April – Nov 2008/2009) to 538 (April – November 2009/2010)

ASSAULT WITH INJURY
11.5 per cent reduction in assaults with injury from April – November 2008/9 to April-Nov 2009/10 (financial year to date). 269 reported incidents reduced to 238.

VIOLENCE IN LICENCED PREMISES
51.9 per cent reduction from April – November 2008/9 to April-Nov 2009/10 (financial year to date). 106 incidents were reduced to 51

Our community challenge

A challenge for us all in the quest to improve our communities...This year, people in Cumbria will send around 8.3million Christmas cards. While we're now recycling more than ever before, many of these will still end up in Cumbria's landfill sites, and when you take into account the energy required to produce these cards, distribute them to shops and post them to family and friends.....they can leave quite the carbon footprint.

Cumbria County Council, through the Resource Cumbria waste partnership, is encouraging Cumbrians to reduce the amount of Christmas cards they need by sending their festive greeting with an e-card. E-cards are just like standard Christmas cards, only electronic; they're quick, easy, great for Cumbria and completely free of charge. All you have to do is visit www.ecards.cngroup.co.uk/ and select the card you like, type in your personal message and the recipient's email address and click send.

The challenge is for each of us to replace at least one of our standard Christmas cards with an e-card. And with so many of 'us' that's already quite a big difference. Imagine if we all replaced two or three! Will you take up the challenge? If you would like any information on recycling and you live in the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness please get in touch with: Peter Buckley, Recycling Officer, Streetcare Dept. Barrow Borough Council, Town Hall, Duke Street, Barrow-in-Furness, CUMBRIA LA14 2UD. Tel: 876330 Mob: 07843 471414 E-mail: pbuckley@barrowbc.gov.uk

Share a Smile

Every wondered how you could improve the place in which you live....for free...!!Well here is the answer....

A group of people, including volunteers from the community, the Community Press, local police officers, Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management and Barrow Crime and Disorder Reduction Parntership, have come together to share the smiles of fellow residents of Barrow. Our initial goal was to take pictures of 1,000 smiling faces of people who live and work in our town and display them on 'the Eye'. The 'Eye' is a very large projector that sits in the police station and projects an image approximately 40ft by 40ft on to the Furness House building opposite. You've probably seen it!

Now we want to capture the smile of every person, community group, group of colleagues, group of friends, and any other group you can think of! Do you fancy having your face on there?! Well now you can ... log on to our Share a Smile blog to see what's happening and keep up to date with the project as it develops. On there we ask everyone to send us a picture of themselves - smiling obviously - which we will put on to a slide show and feature on that blog.

Additionaly as many as possible will be shown on 'the Eye'. Some of the best will be chosen to feature in our local Community Press which is distributed for free to residents of local areas of Barrow. Copies of the papers can also be obtained form the Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management office on Dalton Road in Barrow (opposite Connexions). You can view the latest editions at http://www.nwemail.co.uk/home/community_press_2_3646.

So...get smiling...get snapping...and e-mail your photos to us: Rebecca at: rrawlings@barrowbc.gov.ukRosie at: rhillman@barrowbc.gov.uk

Safer, Stronger Community meeting - Central East

Great turnout from residents and partners at tonight's Safer, Stronger Community meeting at our Dalton Rd office.

Thanks very much to all who came along and thanks for showing how much you care about your neighbourhood and also for all the work you're putting in to make it a safe, clean and strong place to live and work.

Without all the active citizens working together with us we'd achieve nothing - working together we can go only go from strength to strength.

Xmas shoppers urged to stay safe online

Fresh from an International cybercrime conference held in Romania last month, Cumbria’s Deputy Chief Constable is urging Christmas shoppers to stay safe as they log on to the internet for last minute bargains.

Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hyde who is one of the UK’s leading lights in cybercrime, recently attended a conference to discuss the latest developments in online crime. Now back on Cumbrian soil, he is encouraging shoppers to be aware of spammers and scammers who are using sophisticated techniques to get hold of people’s money online.

He said: “With only two weeks left until Christmas, millions of people will be logging on to the internet to find gifts for family and friends.

“The convenience of shopping online draws over 90 per cent of UK shoppers in at this time of year as we start browsing for the right-priced gifts at every opportunity - at home and in work. While this opens up a world of wonderful opportunities, it’s important to stay safe and be aware of criminals who use this time of year to cash in on shoppers who are looking to cut the cost of Christmas.

“The internet is a fantastic tool to use to your advantage – but make sure online criminals don’t take advantage of you. There are simple steps to take to avoid becoming a victim of crime and having your Christmas ruined.”

DCC Hyde offers the following top 5 tips for shopping securely online:

- Passwords
Always use strong passwords that combine upper and lower case letters and numbers. Try to use different passwords for different websites.

- Look out for the padlock
‘Copycat’ websites of popular high street stores are growing in number that look and feel legitimate but fail to send out goods after they have been paid for. Check that the websites you use have a golden padlock displayed in the bottom of your screen and that the website address begins with http://

- Check return policies
It’s important to check an online store’s privacy and returns policy. If it’s not clear, look the company up on the internet and check their reputation. If you have any doubts – don’t buy.

- Keep your PIN to yourself
No legitimate company will ever ask you to enter your credit card PIN on their website. Never enter details of your PIN online.

- Pay with a credit card or PayPal
If you have one, consider paying with a credit card as this gives you extra protection when paying for goods online. Should you fall victim to an online thief, credit card companies are jointly liable if the goods you purchase are not as described or fail to be delivered. Setting up a PayPal account also provides extra security when paying for goods online –see www.paypal.co.uk

DCC Hyde continues: “Fraud costs the UK around £14 billion each year and is a crime that could affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or location.

“We work hard to ensure that we remain one step ahead of criminals and equip ourselves with the right tools and technology to investigate online crime nationally, and at a local level. We are supporting this in Cumbria with the National Fraud Authority’s recent launch of ‘Action Fraud’ - the first contact centre for fraud victims to report crime and get advice.

“If individuals or businesses have been victims of fraud in the last 12 months, they are encouraged to report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or Textphone 0300 123 2050.

“Criminals turn their sights to the online world as they feel it’s an ‘anonymous’ way to commit crime because they never have to physically encounter their victims. They feel protected by their computer screens and we are dedicated to doing everything we can to remove this anonymity by tracking them down and bringing them to justice.”

For more information on how to stay safe online, visit Cumbria Police’s website: www.cumbria.police.uk and www.getsafeonline.org.

Thought for the week ...

"Love comes in different shapes. Sometimes it comes in wisdom; at other times in justice; and oftentimes in hope."

Kahlil Gibran

Cumbria Police Authority

Cumbria Police Authority has today launched its new website to provide more information for its online visitors.

Cumbria Police Authority’s Chair Ray Cole said: “The new site is easy to use and will be a hub of information for the people of Cumbria to find out wide ranging information about policing in their areas.

“Cumbria Police Authority is responsible for ensuring that the county receives an efficient and effective police service – and we can only do that with communities’ help.

“The new site will provide information on the good work that is taking place in the county so residents can remain confident in the police service they receive and feel safe and secure in their homes. It also encourages people to think about the service they receive from police now, and how they would like to see this develop in the future.

“I would encourage everyone to take a look at our new website and let us know what you think about policing in their areas. I hope that it will encourage more people to get involved in their communities by sending us their views and attending our meetings.”

Cumbria Police Authority’s website can be visited by clicking on the following link: www.cumbriapoliceauthority.org.uk

Cumbria Constabulary also has a new website: www.cumbria.police.uk

Don't give burglars a gift this Xmas

Barrow police are appealing for help from the public after a family's Christmas presents were stolen during a burglary after their home was left partially insecure.

Police are investigating after receiving reports that at 3am on Wednesday 9th December, a house on Mosley Street, Barrow in Furness was burgled. A female occupant heard a noise downstairs in the early hours of the morning and disturbed a man wearing dark clothing & a white cap who was leaving her house via the insecure front door.

It was then discovered that some of her 18 month old son's Christmas presents had been taken from under the tree and opened. Several of the contents of the presents were stolen.

Officers from Barrow police are currently working to raise awareness of burglary and the steps to take to protect homes in the lead up to Christmas as part of the ‘Don’t give burglars a gift this Christmas’ campaign. Since Tuesday 8 December, officers and partner agencies have been conducting the county's largest ever Streetsafe event and are attempting to visit 1500 homes in Barrow to provide crime prevention and home security advice.

DI Dave Banks, who is leading the operation, said: "We are anxious to speak to local residents who may have seen anybody acting suspiciously in the area or anybody fitting the description of the offender between 2.30am - 3.15am. We want to trace the missing presents and track down the offender to bring them to justice.

"I can't stress enough the importance of home security, especially this time of year, when many houses are full of costly Christmas presents. Secure your windows and doors - even if you are indoors or out in the backgarden. Finding that you've become a victim of burglary is incredibly distressing and could very easily ruin your Christmas."

A 20-yr-old local man was arrested on suspicion of burglary. He has been placed on police bail until 28 January 2010 pending further enquiries.

If anybody has any information about this crime or knows the whereabouts of the stolen goods, they are asked to contact DC Jack Montague or any local police officer on 0845 33 00 247 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Get into the spirit of Christmas with a visit to the Pantomime!!!

Don't become a victim of burglary - lock it or lose it!

Xmas Streetsafe - live webchat 6pm tonight!

Join the Evening mail webchat tonight at 6pm to discuss burglary and home security.

Log in via www.nwemail.co.uk/burglary_prevention_webchat

Community campaign to reduce burglary in Central/Salthouse

Cumbria Constabulary has launched a large community campaign to reduce burglary in Barrow this Christmas.

Officers from Barrow police have teamed up with partner agencies and the Barrow Crime and Reduction Partnership (CDRP) to launch the ‘Don’t give burglars a gift this Christmas’ campaign, designed to raise awareness of burglary and the steps to take to protect homes and Christmas presents this December.

One week into the month long multi-agency campaign (which began on Tuesday 1 December), police are gearing up for a three day ‘mega’ Streetsafe operation on 8th, 9th and 10th December which will be the largest event of its kind ever seen in Cumbria. Over the three day event, over fifty police officers and many other group representatives will offer crime prevention and offer free assessments on existing home security to over 1,500 homes in Barrow.

The focus will be on Salthouse, Barrow, after police revealed that it is the neighbourhood that is most commonly burgled in the town. 75 burglaries were reported to officers over a three year period from January 2006 - October 2009, which is markedly higher than other neighbourhoods in Barrow. Of the 75 burglaries reported to police, approximately 50 per cent occurred at insecure premises.

Over the course of the Streetsafe events, the group will be offering a combination of advice on crime prevention, property security marking, fire safety, free smoke detector fittings, graffiti removal, and offering specialist advice on health and community participation.

Amongst the Home Protection Pack of information that officers will be distributing to residents, a Home Office life-size leaflet in the shape of a hand and forearm will be posted through letterboxes, urging residents to keep their valuables ‘out of the reach of burglars’.

Detective Inspector Dave Banks who is leading the initiative said: “This campaign has been launched in response to a very local problem as almost 60 per cent of burglaries reported to police in South Cumbria occur at insecure premises.

“Burglary is a top local priority and one that we can only tackle together, as a community. Local agencies that are involved in the operation have come together to raise awareness amongst residents and encourage them to work alongside their local policing teams to tackle the issue and reduce burglaries in their neighbourhoods.

“We want to make our communities safer, stronger and confident that we are doing all we can to reduce burglary in the lead up to Christmas. We are providing residents with the tools and advice they need to keep their homes secure as well as increasing the numbers of high visibility officers on the streets as part of our policing pledge.

“During the three day Streetsafe event, experts from local agencies aim to visit over 1500 homes in the Salthouse area to give out advice on how to enjoy a safe and happy Christmas.”

For more information on home security, please contact a member of your local policing team on 0845 33 00 247.

Young people - rights and responsibilities

What responsibilities should we have as citizens of the UK? Are there additional rights to those already protected in UK law that should be included in a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities?

Young people have an important contribution to make to this debate and a group of young people aged from 12 to 19 convened a mock committee hearing at Portcullis House to consider these questions and debate the issue of rights and responsibilities with Justice Minister Michael Wills.

The committee hearing, chaired by Dr Roger Morgan, the Children's Rights Director for England, marks the launch of a young person's version of the Green Paper Rights and Responsibilities: developing our constitutional framework. The Green Paper seeks specifically the views of young people on whether we should have a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities to set out in one place all the rights we have and the responsibilities we owe to each other.

The Green Paper lists some of the responsibilities we have, and asks if some should be explicitly stated in a single document, including:
- obeying the law and reporting crimes
- treating NHS and other public sector staff with respect
- safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children in our care
- living within our environmental limits.

An essay competition for young people aged from 11 to 18, on rights and responsibilities, has been opened alongside the Green Paper.

Launching the Green Paper Justice Minister Michael Wills said: 'We want young people to contribute to this very important debate. A new Bill of Rights and Responsibilities could clarify and change the relationship between citizen and State and make clear what each can expect from the other.

'Our existing rights and responsibilities are located in a large number of different documents. A Bill of Rights and Responsibilities could identify them and bring them together in one place so that they are easily accessible. It could make clear the importance of exercising rights responsibly, and the ways in which responsibilities have always been implicit in the expression of our rights. It could also add new constitutional rights to those which already exist.' Dawn Butler, Minister for Youth Engagement welcomed the Green Paper and said: 'Young people must be able to influence the decisions that affect them and have a real say in making the Government work for them. This young people's guide to the Green Paper on Rights and Responsibilities acts as a positive example of how the Government can communicate with young people, and is another step towards improved engagement.'

This Green Paper will provide young people with the opportunity to consider the arguments for and against a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. The discussions could lead to a significant constitutional development with these rights and responsibilities drawn together in one place for the first time and new constitutional rights added to those which already exist.

Rights and Responsibilities - Young People

New website for Cumbria police

Cumbria Constabulary has launched its new interactive website to provide an improved, user-friendly experience for its online visitors.

The investment has been made to significantly improve the Constabulary’s online presence and as part of its commitment to the Policing Pledge, provide its visitors with a polished, modern website with up-to-the-minute news about what is going on in their area.

The site provides essential crime prevention advice and information on the latest news and events across the county. There is also a dedicated section for younger visitors to shed some light into the work of the Constabulary and provide informative puzzles and advice on how to stay safe.

Links to Cumbria Constabulary’s profiles on social networking sites such as Facebook, Bebo and YouTube also appear on the site, along with the Force’s latest ‘tweets’ on Twitter.

Video footage of Chief Constable Craig Mackey welcoming the launch of the new site takes prime position on the front page. He said: “I’m delighted to announce the launch of our new and much improved website for Cumbria Constabulary.
“The new site is far easier to use and has a firm focus on Neighbourhood Policing so that Cumbria’s residents and visitors get a clear idea of exactly what police are doing to address the communities’ priorities in every neighbourhood.

“We are committed to doing all we can to reach out to each and every one of our communities and hope that by improving our online presence, we will encourage more people to get to know their local officers, attend meetings, and help to positively shape policing in their area.”

Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Hyde said: “We are committed to using cutting edge technology to bring you the best information about the way we do business. We are moving with the times and want to find the most effective ways to communicate with our community, to investigate crime and ultimately, bring offenders to justice.

“As part of our policing pledge, we’ve promised to become more visible and provide more information about what we are doing and how we are doing it. Our website is a fantastic additional tool to help us do this and I’d like to urge everyone to go online and take a look!”

Green Heart Den Xmas Garden Party

Click on the image below to enlarge

Thought for the week ...

"Work is love made visible."

Kahlil Gibran (The Prophet)

Local communities to be informed of sentences

Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced today that people are to be given more and better information about the punishments given to criminals in their area.

Offenders’ crimes and their punishments will be shared more frequently with local communities under new government guidelines, which encourage the police and other criminal justice agencies to make this information more widely available.

The move is part of a wider government drive to make justice more visible and provide better information in a way that is easy to find and understand.

Read more about the announcement on the Criminal Justice System website (new window).

It follows a government poll that showed more than two thirds of people think it is important for the public to be told about the sentences handed out to offenders, but only a quarter currently feel well informed.

Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, said, 'People want to know what happens to criminals in their area once they are convicted because it shows that there are consequences to breaking the law.

'If those consequences are visible to the public, it builds their confidence in the criminal justice system by reassuring those who have had to live alongside these criminals or those who have been their victims that taking a stand against them and supporting the police and local agencies to bring them to justice has been worthwhile.

'Publicising criminal convictions opens up the criminal justice system, making it more transparent and accountable to the public.'

The government’s crime and justice advisor, Louise Casey, has also published a report today outlining why this information should be shared with communities.
Read Louise Casey's report (new window)

Xmas Streetsafe update and media coverage

Click on the links below for Evening Mail coverage of the Xmas Streetsafe campaign.

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/burglars_beware_they_re_after_you_1_641618?referrerPath=home INTRODUCTION

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/no_title_1_644680?referrerPath=news/barrow VICTIMS STORY

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/no_title_1_645127?referrerPath=news/ HAIRY BIKER

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/streetsafe_offers_advice_on_crime_1_645915?referrerPath=news/ PARTNERS

Xmas Event in Central

The Green Heart Den would like to invite you to join them at their Xmas event which will take place between 1pm and 3pm on Saturday 12th December.

Video link below ...

Cumbria is open!

Flickr photo gallery

Green Heart Den in Guardian

The Green Heart Den community garden as featured in the Guardian - read the article here ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/starbucks-ethical-living/reshaping-the-community-landscape

Youth crime punishments - you decide!

More communities affected by youth crime and anti-social behaviour will, for the first time, have their say in how young offenders are punished and forced to make amends to their local neighbourhood, Justice Secretary Jack Straw announced today.

Youth Offending Teams across North West England will take part in the first official programme - 'Making Good' - allowing members of the public to propose local work for young offenders (10-17 years old). If the scheme, developed by the Youth Justice Board (YJB), proves to be successful it will be rolled-out across the country from early next year.

The type of projects expected to be put forward could range from cleaning graffiti and repairing vandalised public furniture, to work in local libraries and charity work.

'Making Good' will form part of the government's new stronger youth sentencing system - the Youth Rehabilitation Order (YRO) – which comes into effect from today (30 November) to further tackle the underlying causes of youth crime and make our neighbourhoods safer and better places to live.