Social action & strong streets
Portsmouth is a strong city. We care about those in our community. The ‘Pompey spirit’ has certainly shone through during the pandemic. We want to ensure we maximise the new connections made between organisations, sectors and neighbours to make our streets and our communities even stronger.
Strong Streets, keeping you connected
In recent years, technology has progressed to a point that new ‘micro-street’ forums are now possible. Communication has always been vital, and local WhatsApp groups are now becoming increasingly popular. These can help identify what is positively and negatively affecting your street and assist in building a community for neighbours. A number of additional dedicated street and community smart phone apps also exist that are being well utilised. The benefits vary from helping with lost pets, anti-social behaviour to ensuring streets are as resilient as they can be to low-level crime and in some cases, catching criminals.
Why not sign up to become a street rep today? Stay up to date with the many issues and campaigns that I’m working on in your area.
Community and Street focused appsNeighbourhood ForumsOther neighbourhood groupsCommunity Safety & Safer NeighbourhoodsPensionsNeighbourhood Policing Teams Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner – Hampshire and the Isle of WightCommunities and the environmentGreener communities
Community and Street focused apps
Nextdoor smartphone app:
It’s where communities come together to greet newcomers, exchange recommendations, and read the latest local news. Where neighbours support local businesses and get updates from public services. Where neighbours borrow tools and sell sofas. It’s how to get the most out of everything nearby. Available on iOS and Android.
https://nextdoor.co.uk
WhatsApp – for street communities
WhatsApp is a great way of setting up a ‘street-level group’ so that neighbours can all stay in touch and report issues in real-time. WhatsApp is available from your smartphone app store. If your street doesn’t already have a WhatsApp group, you could be the proactive person to set one up and invite your neighbours to join?
https://faq.whatsapp.com/android/chats/how-to-create-and-invite-into-a-group/?lang=en
Facebook Groups and Pages
Facebook groups have been popular for several years. Many local neighbourhood forums have established a page or group. They are easy to set up.
https://www.facebook.com/help/167970719931213
Neighbourhood Forums
Portsmouth’s neighbourhood forums give you the chance to speak up about what’s happening on your doorstep.
Parking, crime, planning developments, policing and schools are all hot topics that affect people’s lives. If you’ve got something to say, neighbourhood forums are a way to get your voice heard and make a difference in your local area.
Forums are just one of the many ways we involve local people and communities.
To find out more email [email protected]
Other Neighbourhood Groups
Keep Milton Green
A grassroots community group for Milton residents originally created to campaign against over-development that has now flourished into a ward wide community and neighbourhood group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1515021095403847/
Baffins Pond Association
A volunteer-led community group that cares and enhances the Baffins Pond and surrounding habitat. The Baffins Pond Association is open most Saturdays between 12:00 and 16:00 and have a small tea shop for people to enjoy.
https://www.baffinspondassociation.org.uk
Portsmouth Community Centres
Portsmouth has many community centres across the city. Find out where your local community centre is by using this link to visit the City Council’s community centre website.
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/community/community-centres/
Community Safety & Safer Neighbourhoods
Community Speedwatch
Community Speedwatch allows members of the community to become police support volunteers and take action against speeding on the roads of concern within their area.
Volunteers use equipment that can monitor the speed of passing traffic and then record the details, later adding them to a database. Vehicle checks are then undertaken by the police and letters are then sent to the registered keepers advising them of their speed and reminding them of why it is a community concern.
Use the link below to find out about the scheme, setting up your own Community Speedwatch and about funding.
Ring Door Bells
Tackling neighbourhood crime is an issue that constituents write to me about. Ring video doorbells have been used to tackle and deter neighbourhood crime. My office is working with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police to create a register of video doorbells that the Police will be able to use to create a network of community surveillance to help catch criminals who commit crime in our communities.
Reporting Crime
Dial 999 in an emergency.
Dial 101 to report a non-emergency.
Neighbourhood Policing Teams
https://www.facebook.com/PortsmouthPolice/
https://twitter.com/PompeyPolice
Supt. Steve Burridge – Superintendent Steve Burridge is the district commander for Portsmouth.
Email: [email protected]
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (Hampshire and the Isle of Wight)
Donna Jones – Police and Crime Commissioner
Contact the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office: Office of the Police Crime Commissioner for Hampshire
St George’s Chambers
St George’s Street
Winchester
Hampshire
SO23 8AJ
Or if you would prefer to speak to someone:
Commissioner General Enquiries: 01962 871595 (Please note, you cannot report crime incidents here)
https://www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk
Communities and the environment
Neighbourhood Watch
The long-established Neighbourhood Watch allows communities and streets to connect and to help provide crime prevention and other community issues.
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/community/neighbourhood-watch-association/
Local Beach Cleans
Our oceans and marine ecosystems are under threat from litter, particularly plastic that doesn’t degrade. Portsmouth is a coastal and island city with an accessible shoreline across all coastal wards in Portsmouth North. Penny has organised and led many community beach clean social action projects at Watersedge, Paulsgrove Ward, Tipner Lake in Hilsea, Milton Common and Great Salterns as well as Farlington Marshes.
Below are some links to organisations that run regular beach cleans locally that you can get involved in:
Final Straw Foundation
https://finalstrawfoundation.org
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/take-action-wildlife/beach-cleans
Greener communities
Grow your own produce
Southsea Green
The Southsea Greenhouse is a beloved green space where food and flowers are grown. A community garden, transformed from long forgotten wasteland. The initiative is supported by Portsmouth City Council and Penny Mordaunt MP has been a supporter for many years.
The Southsea Greenhouse project want to get more people growing, buying local food and to share tools, campaigns and resources with others who care about the city we live in.
Their philosophy is to ‘grow your own’, sharing seeds, compost; plants; trees; green space and resources. With the Food Partnership, and green groups, we campaign for sustainability; recycling and reducing waste. And to create a happier and healthier environment.
https://southseagreenhouse.co.uk
The Tree Council
The Tree Council brings everyone together with a shared mission to care for trees and our planet’s future. We inspire and empower organisations, government, communities and individuals with the knowledge and tools to create positive, lasting change at a national and local level.
Plant trees and hedges in your community
We have a range of opportunities available to help you plant trees and hedgerows in your area.
https://treecouncil.org.uk/take-action/grants-for-trees/
Plant an orchard in your school and be a #ForceForNature
Apply for a free pack of fruit-bearing, wildlife-enhancing, carbon-storing orchard or fruiting hedgerow for your school now! We’re giving away free orchard tree and hedgerow packs to inspire teachers and pupils around the country to get outdoors connect, learn, plant and care for trees. Teachers will also receive an exciting set of resources, designed by teachers, that are linked to the national curriculum.
https://treecouncil.org.uk/schools-and-education/orchards-for-schools/