|
The ordinary folk - with extraordinary dedication
By Ben Evans South Wales Evening Post - Friday April 30 2004
Swansea is a safer place to live, thanks to these hard-working
people.
These individuals are not police officers or people in power -
they are just ordinary folk doing their bit for the city.
And their efforts to rid their communities of crime were recognised
at the Safer Swansea Community Safety Awards.
The event at the Dylan Thomas Centre aimed to recognise and reward
groups and individuals for their contributions towards cutting crime
in their area.
Dozens of nominations were sent to the Safer Swansea Partnership,
which decided to run the awards to raise awareness of the importance
of crime prevention and show the different ways people build safer
communities.
The list was finally whittled down to five projects which were
presented with their rewards by Swansea's Lord Mayor Lawrence Bailey.
The winners were The Domino Project, which helps people suffering
from drug and alcohol abuse; John Fitzjohn, who set up the Vehicle
Arson Reduction Partnership to tackle the causes of vehicle fires/
Jackie Thomas and Sue Vandenburg, two residents in Clase and Caemawr
who set up activities for young people after complaints about vandalism
and anti-social behaviour; Sue Highfield, who works in the Traveller
Education Service; and the Minority Ethnic Women's Network, providing
support for them to become independent in their local community.
Also at the ceremony was Swansea Council chief executive Tim Thorogood,
Chief Superintendent Mel Jehu of Swansea Police and David Aherne,
crime director for Wales.
Mr Jehu said: "People have been doing extraordinary things
day after day to make Swansea a safer place - not just for today
but for the future of the city.
"I have been divisional commander for 12 months and community
safety has been the number one priority.
"It is a privilege to be here to recognise the hard work and
commitment of not just the people receiving the awards but everyone
involved in community safety in the last 12 months.
"The improvements we have seen in the city and the way Swansea
is held up nationally for the work taking place is a testament,
not to me or anybody in a position of high authority, but all those
who are doing this work on a daily basis.
"I take my hat off to all of them."
<< Back to other 'WGCADA in
the Press' stories
|
