W E S T S U S S E X M E D I AT I O N S E RV I C E
WHY A MEDIATION SERVICE STARTED
O
ur service was the brainchild of a Crime
and others. As well as community mediation which is
Prevention Officer in Horsham back in around
free of charge, we also cover intergenerational
1999-2000 (Nigel Tickler) who, through some
disputes, family (pre-divorce) mediation, workplace
research, determined that about 5% of frontline Police
mediation and civil mediation and these are currently
time was spent going to repeat calls to the same
being delivered online when self distancing requires it.
addresses/neighbourhoods regarding neighbour
How important are donations and fundraising for
disputes, giving words of advice or ‘banging heads
your organisation? We don’t have a high profile and
together’ but not having to ‘feel collars’. However, this
provide our confidential services quietly in the
was not addressing the underlying causes of those
background. We are not the sort of charity that
conflicts. He believed that by forming a mediation
individuals would naturally gravitate towards. This
services these cycles of conflict could be broken and
makes fundraising difficult. We have a very small office
the demand on Police time reduced. He secured some
staff - our service co-ordinator, Nick, plus three part-
‘pump priming’ funding from the Police, Council and
time colleagues who help manage the 330+ annual
WSCC to train 9 mediators and launch the service. We
referrals - hence the challenge of fundraising support
now have 50+ mediators and cover the whole county.
as we don’t have a team of dedicated fundraisers.
In addition to the police, the bulk of our referrals are
Every pound we receive is important to us.
self reported and from housing associations, the council
www.wsms.org.uk
12
MARCH/APRIL 2021
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