Gallions Reach Shopping Park is taking up a new initiative
called KEEP SAFE. The scheme will be having its Beckton launch on
Saturday 14th May at Gallions Reach.
Keep Safe is a community safety project, and Newham was the
first London Borough to adopt the scheme, which had been
successfully trialled in Hertfordshire. They currently have sites
in Stratford, and are spreading Keep Safe out across Newham.
Disabled people are working in partnership with Newham council;
Safer Neighbourhood police teams, Safer Transport and Newtec, to
ask local shops and businesses if they would be willing to display
the Keep Safe sticker in their windows. The Keep Safe sticker
indicates a willingness to offer support to a disabled person who
is feeling unsafe, or who has been the victim of a crime, and needs
to make an emergency call to a parent, carer, or to an emergency
service.
"We really like Keep Safe. It's good to know where we can go to
get help if we need it." (Keep Safe member).
Disabled people are invited to join the scheme, and carry the
Keep Safe card or keyring with them with emergency contact details
of who to call. They can use the card at any Keep Safe site, and
will be supported to make their call.
Catherine Goddard Centre Manager at Gallions Reach is very
enthusiastic about the new launch,
"We are very supportive of all that the Keep Safe scheme stands
for and we are very proud to be launching such a worthwhile
initiative here at Gallions Reach."
Keep Safe aims to break down barriers between disabled people
and the police, and highlight the fact that disability hate crime
is hugely under reported. It will also help to raise awareness
about the easy read Disability Hate Crime Reporting Packs now
available.
Above all, it will ensure that disabled people "Keep Safe" when
out and about in their local community.
If you would like to join Keep Safe, or would be interested in
becoming a Keep Safe site, please call the Community Involvement
Team on 0203 373 1884, e:mail community.team@newham.gov.uk
or safeguarding.adultsadmin@newham.gov.uk
0203 373 4132.
