The Thurrock Coalition: Engaging With All Our Communities
Supporting victims of crime is at the heart of the Police and Crime Plan for Essex and the Thurrock Coalition is a great example of a group working with a range of partners listening to voices across our communities.
The Thurrock Coalition is the User-Led Organisation for Thurrock and comprises of four different organisations, Thurrock Centre for Independent Living, the Thurrock Diversity Network, Thurrock Lifestyle Solutions and Thurrock MIND. Each individual nominated to sit on the Thurrock Coalition Board identifies as a Disabled Person.
In 2014-15 the Thurrock Coalition received £15, 289.16 from the Police and Crime Commisoner’s Community Safety Development Fund to help fund the new Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Community Connector Role.
Ian Evans, one of the Coalition’s directors said: “The PCC funding has paid for the new role to provide an opportunity for people who did not think they have a voice to be supported and empowered to speak up within their community.”
The Thurrock Coalition has been working closely across the borough to help provide information and support to those in the community who do not feel confident enough to ask for help or advice. Thurrock Coalition is also part of the ‘Stop the Hate’ initiative, supporting those people who have been victims of Hate Crime or Hate Incidents.
The new Community Connector Role has been taken up by Naguib Nuthoo who is also a trained Hate Crime Ambassador. This allows the community to be able to speak, in confidence, with individuals who are trained Ambassadors about a particular incident before being signposted towards available help.
Nick Alston, Police and Crime for Commissioner for Essex, said: “Supporting victims of crime is crucial. I want anyone who has suffered or is continuing to suffer harm to know how to access help and support. The Thurrock Coalition is a great example of providing that support at the heart of our communities.“
Naguib has been engaging with local communities to help develop the Coalition’s engagement programme.
Drop in Centres have already been developed in Tilbury, where there were previously no facilities or structure for people to discuss issues or concerns. Part of the role has also helped develop a Hate Incident Reporting Centre (HIRC) in Tilbury where local communities can report a hate incident or crime either as a victim or a witness, as an alternative to speaking directly with the police.
Please click the links for further information about the Community Connector Drop In Centre and the HIRC.
Naguib the BME Community Connector said: “The funding has enabled people who most of the time feel ignored to be understood. It has given them a body that will advocate on their behalf to share their problem and to help to find a solution.”
Details of all the projects funded under the PCC’s New Initiatives Fund (which is now known as the Community Safety Development Fund) can be seen here.
