Press Release from Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service

Lessons learned at community conference

Look out for your neighbours - that is the message that came out of a highly successful Community Safety conference.

Gloucestershire County Council hosted the day-long ‘Protecting your Community’ conference in Barnwood on Friday.

More than 120 people attended the event, which focussed on strengthening communities and helping people to help themselves.

Speakers included representatives from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Gloucestershire Constabulary, parish councils, Village Agents and county council members and officers.

The audience were given examples of how working together can solve problems and improve life for county residents.

Police Community Support Officers outlined how working with residents, councils helped to fight crime including anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

Village Agents, who provide support for older people in rural Gloucestershire, talked about what a difference their work can make to the lives of these residents, some of whom rely on the agents as a link to the outside world.

And fire officers explained how the impacts of disasters, like the floods, can be overcome if strong support networks are set up.

Information was also given out on the organisations and bodies, which exist to support residents - not only during a crisis, but during every day life.

The conference was prompted by the enormous community spirit shown during last summer’s flood crisis, but focussed more widely on how communities can deal with all types of issues that may affect them.

The day was chaired by Gloucestershire County Council’s Community Safety Group Director Terry Standing - who is also the Chief Fire Officer for Gloucestershire - who said: “This was an excellent event, which gave people the chance to find out more about what help and support there is available.

“During the floods, there was great community spirit and we now want to build on that.
“We all need to look out for each other and this conference was an excellent way of getting the right information into the public domain.

“In every village in very town in Gloucestershire there is someone who might need help or support and we all need to do our best to provide that.”

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, Gloucestershire County Council Cabinet Member responsible for community safety added: "It was wonderful to see such a good turnout at this event.

“If we learned anything from the July floods, it is the good that can be done when communities work together and that is what this event was all about.”

Contact:
Issued by Lisa Bonnell
Gloucestershire County Council Media Team, 01452 42522
lisa.bonnell@gloucestershire.gov.uk

ENDS

29th January 2008

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