What does a Neighbourhood Support Group do?

Neighbourhood Support Rotorua covers over 39 percent of the occupied households in the area. In the covered locations less than 20 percent of residential crime occurs.

So how does a Neighbourhood Support Group work? When an area wishes to have Neighbourhood Support established, following a meeting of interestedhouseholds, a group is set up with a person appointed as the group contact person.

This person acts as the point of contact between the group and the office distributing information to the group and keeping contact information up to date.

The group will:

• Encourage neighbours to talk to each other

• Share information that will help reduce the risk of crime

• Help foster a sense of community spirit

• Educate and empower neighbours to take responsibility for their own safety

• Identify the needs of neighbours and ways to assist each other such as the elderly, infirm and those living alone www.publicsound.co.nz

• Decide ways to handle any civil emergency that may occur.

Neighbourhood Support encourages groups to undertake these objectives so as to reduce the incidence of crime in their area and to build community spirit.

When the contact person gathers household information from the members, the office assembles a telephone contact list to distribute to registered households in the group. The lists should be kept up to date as possible with at least an annual update.

Neighbours look after each other. Members of a group can keep an eye on a property when they go away so long as the group is advised.

A group is able to establish a sense of ‘being an entity’ by having streets signs mounted in the street and all registered households having a Neighbourhood Support sticker on their property, visible from the road on a window/letterbox/door.

These provide a visible warning to those coming into the area that the neighbours do look out for each other and will report suspicious activity to the Police.

Groups can undertake social activities, but it is dependent upon what the group wants. Some have a regular get-together over a pot luck meal or barbeque. Others meet only annually.

The main idea behind these gatherings is to get to know your neighbours.

Members of the group welcome newcomers to the street, introducing them to their new neighbours.

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This is can be done by all members of the group and not just the group contact person.

Building communities which are prepared for the possibility of a civil emergency is also a vital aspect of the group.

To do this, Civil Defence often works with groups in communities where there is a likelihood of a civil disaster occurring, establishing local area emergency plans.

The Neighbourhood Support Group is an essential participant in this exercise as they are the ones on the ground and have knowledge of local facilities, contacts and potential problems.

The relationships within the group also help provide a readily establish communication network.

Neighbourhoods don’t become lower crime areas without effort. Establishing Neighbourhood Support Groups assists in making communities safer.

Doing this requires members of a group to be active, communicating with neighbours and providing support for each other.

By doing this, the community spirit is uplifted and it makes the area a safer, more caring place to live.

If you wish to join complete the form from the centre of this booklet, go to the website sign on page at: www.nsrotorua.info/registration, or scan the QR code on page #3 to sign up from your mobile phone.

How do we make sure things happen correctly?

Neighbourhood Support Rotorua is set up as an incorporated society (HN/684216) and is registered on the Charities Register (CC21983).

The constitution can be viewed at the website nsrotorua.info under the “About” TAB.

As part of the constitution, each year in June, at the AGM, between 6-10 people are elected to the Committee.

This Committee oversees the governance of the organisation.

Meeting up a minimum of six times a year they receive reports from the co-ordinator and approve expenditure.

Also, they ensure funding and staffing are available, plus budgets are made and kept to.

At the first meeting after the AGM, those elected appoint a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer from within their number.

If necessary up to three people can be co-opted to the Committee if the situation requires it.

In addition to the elected Committee there are ex-officio members from the Rotorua Police, called the Area Commander’s Liaison Office, and the staff - presently two part-timers.

If anyone is interested in coming onto the Committee please contact the office, 349-9470, to find out more information.