South Somerset Homes tenant helping young people and the community tackle issues relating to drugs and alcohol
27 June 2005

A tenant of South Somerset Homes is helping the community of Chard to tackle the issues relating to problems with drugs and alcohol. Councillor Cathy Morrison who is Chair of the Chard Community Safety Group, which is part of the Mendip and South Somerset Community Safety Partnership, is organising Community Safety and Drug Awareness events for the local people of Chard to give support and information to parents and young people about drugs and other community safety issues .

At the most recent Drugs Awareness Day over 20 young people aged from 12 years and over attended. They were all shown the different types of drugs that are commonly misused and were able to discuss and ask questions about them. They also had the opportunity to talk to the police about any issues that they had.

Cathie Morrison said, “At the forthcoming Drugs Awareness Day we will be focusing on issues surrounding community safety and will have representatives from the Police with information displays and the Bobby van, the Fire & Rescue Service with information on smoke detectors and electric blanket testing and Neighborhood Watch. Everyone is welcome to come along.”

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 placed a statutory obligation on a range of agencies to work together to look sat issues around crime and the fear of crime. Mendip and South Somerset Community Safety Partnership brings together agencies and organisations such as the Police, the Local; Authority, Fire Brigade, Youth Service, Housing Providers, Primary Care Trust and a range of voluntary organisations to address these issues.

As the partnership wanted to involved the local community and build capacity to carry out actions it has formed Area Community Safety Action Panels in each of the District Council areas in South Somerset.

The panel covering this area is the Area West Community Safety Action Panel and there are 3 local action groups, in Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster consisting of local agency workers and residents, councillors etc. who live or work in the area and therefore have more local knowledge of the issues being tackled.

The Chard Community Safety Group is made up of representatives fromChard Town Council, South Somerset district Council, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Somerset County Youth Services, Chard Social Services, South Somerset Homes, The Healthy Living Centre, On the Level and Drinkwatch. .