Since the ward Neighbourhood Watch chat began around February 2016, it has become a vital place for neighbours to share information, raise concerns, and support each other. Between Feb 2016 and Aug 2025, 292 people have written into the chat 5,338 times. That’s alot of engagement and contributed messages — showing the scale of local engagement.
What We’re Talking About
Breakdown by Theme (% of messages)
- Traffic & Transport – 29.94%: Speeding concerns, dangerous driving, and persistent parking issues.
- Crime & Safety – 28.15%: Break-ins, suspicious activity, car thefts, and neighbours coordinating with police or sharing CCTV.
- Social & Community – 15.42%: Celebrations, thanks, and lighter conversations — now mostly in the dedicated Social Chat
- Council & Services – 13.88%: From missed bin collections to streetlight repairs, many of these reports are logged with the council.
- Lost & Found – 11.58%: Missing pets, keys, and items, with several cases successfully resolved thanks to the chat.
- Health & Wellbeing – 1.02%: Updates on NHS access, GP services, and Covid-related information.
From Chat to Action
Many conversations lead directly to action. Police call-outs are made when crime reports come in. Speeding complaints are raised with the council, sometimes resulting in surveys or signage. Council service issues get logged and resolved after being flagged. Lost pets and items are quickly reunited through neighbour alerts. And health updates are shared widely during NHS service changes and Covid restrictions.
Looking Ahead
- Crime & Safety
- Council & Services
- Traffic & Transport
- Lost & Found
- Health & Wellbeing
Not every message can be neatly classified—many are quick acknowledgements, short replies, or emojis. We’ve grouped those under “Other” and excluded them from the charts so the main themes are clearer.
The “Other” category is actually the largest single group of messages but consists mainly of quick acknowledgements or short replies. It’s excluded here to focus on the themes that drive real discussion and action.