Who are we?

The national family of neighbourhood resource centres provides training and advice to help people create safe, friendly and lasting communities. We do this by sharing our expertise to develop new training, provide the very best services and promote what really works in neighbourhood renewal.

Each centre has a team of highly skilled and experienced regeneration practitioners who can support you in your work and provide consultancy and training to those who live, work and manage in neighbourhoods. We have well equipped premises with training facilities, meeting rooms and renewal information materials. Our trainers provide centre-based learning but will travel and deliver training in community venues. All centres are committed to the Excellence Standard.

We are funded by the department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and work in partnership with Government Offices for the Regions, Regional Centres of Excellence and Regional Improvement Partnerships.

National Warden Conference 2008 and Connecting Communities Awards

The Neighbourhood Alliance are happy to be working with New Start Magazine, in promoting this years national Warden Conference and ‘Connecting Communities Awards’.

The conference, sponsored by New Start Magazine is being held at Austin Court, Birmingham on Tuesday 28 October.

We are proud to announce the winners of the Connecting Communities Awards

The Savant Warden Team of the Year Award

‘The team are excellent ambassadors for the city, making a huge positive and influential impact to the lives of their local community’
The Team’s passion and commitment has made an outstanding contribution in order to make the city centre safer and secure. They also pride themselves in always putting the customer first with a commitment to go the extra mile to resolve problems.

One example of this was to help improve communication with all visitors to the City, the Wardens recently received the nationally recognised "Welcome Host Plus" and "Welcome International" training course to equip them for an increased focus on their ambassadorial role.

The North West Network Wardens Empowering Young People Award

‘Louis and Mandy have really empowered the young people on the local estates, they have taken ownership of where they live’
Alongside this Louis and Mandy have been working with younger children aged 8-13 promoting the junior warden scheme. Starting with just 5 the scheme now has between 30 and 40. The impact has been fantastic! The children have been doing events within the community which has been appreciated by everyone. They have taken ownership of 6 large concrete flower pots outside the parade that had been left to grow wild. They were weeded, replanted and maintained by the children. This improves the look of the area and given the children a sense of ownership. They have also planted two old rowing boats outside the community centre and had regular litter picks.
These activities and others run with the police and fire service have encouraged the children to respect the area more and it had given them the confidence to speak out to us or the police if there is something wrong.

Help the Aged Wardens Supporting Older People Award

‘This unique and innovative programme for older people includes Chair Based exercise, health walks and greater access to help and information and is delivered by trained wardens.’
As part of the Live Wirral Wardens commitment to health and fostering social inclusion members of the warden tem have been specially trained by Wirral PCT to deliver chair based exercises for frailer and vulnerable people and health walks for community groups. The aim of the Health Walks is to get people walking more often to improve their mobility and fitness levels. The Wardens set out to provide interesting walks on a monthly basis to encourage the residents to walk more and realise the benefits of regular moderate exercise. It also engenders community spirit and stimulates the social side of the activity. The Team have consistently shown a caring and committed attitude to helping older residents and their enthusiasm and friendly manner shines through.

The Encams Wardens Creating Sustainable Communities Award

‘A truly inspirational and hardworking officer whose willingness to provide betterment to all has won the hearts and minds of the communities he serves.’
Piloted and introduced by Chris in the Berkeley Vale area the Good Trader Agreement approaches the problems of anti-social behaviour through engagement with the local traders through education, prevention and by adopting a holistic approach. It is designed to encourage retailers to work together to create a better environment, for example, reporting ASB, keeping shop fronts clean and tidy, and by ensuring that all staff are familiar with the laws relating to the sale of age restricted goods.
Another major success has been the introduction of deliberators into Neighbourhood warden vehicles, again piloted by Chris. Chris is a fully trained First Responder and regularly signs on duty with the Great Western Ambulance Service. He has advanced first aid skills and carries deliberation and oxygen equipment in his vehicle.
On the request of the Emergency Ambulance call centre, Chris has attended numerous medical emergences in his local area with the aim of maintaining life until the ambulance service or paramedics arrive, which in rural areas can take up to 45 minutes to respond to an emergency call. Chris has attended scenes of an emergency and administered life saving techniques. A truly worthwhile but understated skill Chris brings to his role.

The Neighbourhood Alliance Wardens Supporting Vulnerable People Award

‘Sue has made a significant difference to the lives of the people she works with, using her exceptional ability to create mutual respect whilst remembering its often the little things that she can do that makes a big difference to their lives.’
Sue has been a street warden for 5 years, and initially engaged with the scheme as a volunteer.
In Torquay town centre, Sue engages with those excluded due to substance misuse or often sleeping rough, giving them support and advice. Sue challenges the public's perception. She works with others to explain people behaviours in an effort to create understanding and lead to possible solutions. This is a two way process getting those at risk to respect society's rules again thereby reducing anti-social behaviour.
Sue has helped 9 people to make a sustainable start in their new home by providing recycled furniture and some home comforts after undergoing rehab. Facilitating this beginning helps to ensure that old habits are not revisited.
How do you measure the little things that make a difference? It's hard to quantify the smile that Sue brings to someone's face when she bakes them a birthday cake, especially when it's the first cake they have had since they have been sleeping rough, thinking that no one remembered them any more.
Due to her relationships with those with substance misuse she has arranged an event to increase fire awareness and undertaken home safety checks with a colleague, reaching a key target group that the fire service has been trying to engage with for years.
Sue makes around 25 referrals a month ranging from benefit or housing advice from the supporting people hub. Sue is viewed as firm but fare by the people she engages with on the street.