Catch22 Learners help Portsmouth Householders Close the Door on Burglary

Printer-friendly versionPDF version

Up to 600 homes in Portsmouth are to receive better protection against burglary over the next five months under a government anti-crime scheme involving Catch22.

Portsmouth, 24 November 2009, PressReleasePoint - Portsmouth-based training charity Catch22 is working with the home improvement agency, Foundations, to help vulnerable residents in the city access free security measures and practical advice.

The £80,000 Safer Homes project will see approved contractors install items such as window locks, alarms and door viewers in up to 600 homes.

Young people being helped by Catch22 will join the contractors as part of their work experience programme. Each learner will be vetted and security-cleared to ensure their suitability.

Organisations in the Safer Portsmouth Partnership, including statutory and voluntary agencies, will refer eligible residents to the project for an initial consultation and home survey before work begins.

Mel Walker, Hampshire Area Manager for Catch22, said the project could transform stereotypes of young people and help residents feel safer around them.

He said: “As well as helping to reduce crime and the fear of crime, Safer Homes provides a way of challenging perceptions of the young people we work with who are typically at risk of missing out on education, employment or training.

“Residents and landlords will be able to see that with appropriate guidance and support these young people can make a positive difference to their communities.”

Help from the Safer Homes project is available to any person in Portsmouth who feels vulnerable to burglary crime. Factors may include their neighbourhood, income, ethnic background or age.

The project runs until March 2010. If successful, the longer-term aim is to create a social enterprise where young people can be trained in home security and maintenance and offer related services to residents.

Rachel Geary, the University of Portsmouth’s Student Housing Manager and a member of the Safer Portsmouth Partnership, said: “The aim is to prevent crime from happening, and reduce the fear of crime so that people feel safer in their own homes and neighbourhoods.

“This initiative will help those living in the community, including the many students living away from home for the first time.

“At the same time, young people being helped by Catch22 can be taught practical maintenance skills that improve their chances of finding work or further training.”