SNAP blog

Friday 12 March 2010

Environmental improvements
John Hesketh, Environmental Coordinator, Salford City Council

My team works to maintain and improve the areas parks, open spaces and streets. During SNAP week we: 

• Litterpicked fifteen hundred metres of river banks
• Removed numerous fly tips
• Disposed of six fly tipped tyres 
• Tidied up Pegwell Drive Play Area
• Repaired a hundred and fifty metres of chainlink fencing
• Painted four hundred and fifty metres of Mandley Park fencing (by the community payback team)
• Litterpicked 35 bags of litter from across Broughton

Thursday 11 March 2010

Skills and Work event
Vanessa Hamnett, Assistant Neighbourhood Manager, Salford City Council  

A team of advisors from the East Salford Neighbourhood, including Salford City College, Connexions, The Broughton Trust, The Family Information Service, Broughton Database and Working Links, joined the staff of Skills and Work Office at 294, Bury New Road to offer support and advice to people not in work, education or training.  

The wide range of skills and knowledge meant that this team for a day were able to help with almost any issue that the people who dropped into the centre raised. For many of those who called in, this was the first time they had visited Skills and Work, and several made appointments to return for more help and advice.  

Publicity before the event was circulated by the Broughton and Blackfriars Working Neighbourhood Team which is currently working with local residents by visiting them at their homes, and offering support and advice.  

Over 30 new clients took advantage of the service and received a goody bag of information. They also were given a voucher to open an account at River Valley Credit Union, our local financial co-operative, run by local people for local people.

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Planting event at Oakhill Court
Jackie Crook, Salix Homes

The greening event at Oakhill Court was held to thank residents in the block for agreeing to allow their communal room to be used as a meeting place for resident groups in the area and as a base for the Park Rangers to run activities in the park.

Officers from Salix Homes were joined on the day by the neighbourhood management team and the park rangers. Lucy Gore from the Hill Street Residents Association also attended. Lucy has a horticultural background and works at a local family run garden centre. We are all clueless when it comes to gardening, so her advice about which plants to put where was invaluable!

We started work at 10.00am on what was a beautiful spring morning. About two and a half hours, two brews and four packets of biscuits and buttered scones later we had filled three large wooden troughs (made by Billy the ranger) and a dozen pots of various shapes and sizes with a mixture of evergreen shrubs and bedding plants.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day and residents can now enjoy sitting in two garden areas surrounded by colourful plants and flowers all year round!

Police activity
Sergeant Dave Stevens, Salford East Neighbourhood Policing Team

Today, we executed a search warrant at an address and discovered a cannabis farm containing 30 plants. We will not tolerate this or any type of drug being cultivated and we are determined to arrest those responsible and bring them to justice. You can report any suspicious behaviour to police on 0161 872 5050.

Over 400 addresses have been visited with 100 Smartwater kits delivered. The technology leaves a forensic fingerprint encoded with the owner's details, which is virtually impossible to remove. If items are stolen, they can be traced back to the rightful owner. All residents are enthusiastic for the scheme and I hope more and more continue to sign up over the next few days. You can also help keep burglars out by locking all doors and windows.

Tuesday 9 March 2010

Family Club Surgery
Alison Pearce, Community Development Worker, East Salford Neighbourhood Management Team, Salford City Council

The children I meet at the Family Club surgery, held at the Church of Nazarene, let me help them with making their banner.

All around, over 80 parents and children played on lots of equipment, baked treats for tea and took part in a Nintendo Wii bowling tournament. As well as play, parents were able to get advice on a wide range of subjects.

Once again the food was fantastic and thanks must go to the volunteers who worked so hard to provide it.

If I had to guess the most popular attraction was the chocolate fountain. I liked it.

International Women's Day
Alison Pearce, Community Development Worker, East Salford Neighbourhood Management team, Salford City Council  

Over 100 women from 30 or more countries celebrated International Day at the North Salford Youth Centre. They danced, belly danced, felt fantastic after having reflexology, head massage and many more treatments and took full advantage of the stalls that offered advice and classes on health, leisure and well being.  

As you would expect the food was wonderful and catered for every taste. Sadly, after an exhausting day helping the organisers I wasn't able take advantage of any of the therapy sessions. Reflexology would have been great.

Police activity
Sergeant Dave Stevens, Salford East Neighbourhood Policing Team

Today, we have been using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) equipment to determine whether vehicles have been licensed, taxed and insured in the Lower Broughton Road and Leicester Road area. 1,500 vehicles were scanned and two were stopped for offences. Again, like Monday, these figures are very impressive and proves that the majority of people in the area are responsible motorists.

A truancy sweep took place to ensure all children were in school and I'm pleased to report back there were no children absent.

The roll out of Smartwater technology continued in the Wellbeck Grove area. This is basically a special liquid DNA that can be put on valuables. It leaves a forensic fingerprint encoded with the owner's details, which is virtually impossible to move. If items are stolen, they can be traced back to the rightful owner. All residents are enthusiastic for the scheme and I hope more and more continue to sign up over the next few days. You can also help keep burglars out by locking all doors and windows.

The mobile police station was placed at North Salford Youth Centre from 8.00am where we spoke to numerous people regarding their concerns and issues. This facility is an ideal way to tell us how you want your neighbourhood policed and for members of the public to prioritise the issues that need tackling first in their area If you can't attend the Mobile Police Station then there are numerous opportunities via police surgeries that take place across the city.

Monday 8 March 2010

Salix Homes information trailer
Neil Mawson, Better Neighbourhoods Champion, Salix Homes

Officers working in the Lower Broughton area decided to begin SNAP week in Broughton by taking the Salix Homes trailer to Mocha Parade to promote some of the many services that Salix Homes and its partners provide in this part of Salford. We were joined by the Police and Salford Family Information Service who also had their mobile vehicles on site.

Thankfully the weather was fantastic and there were plenty of people out and about. We enjoyed talking to over 50 residents, giving away free property marking kits to those who wanted them and getting people to fill in surveys about the quality of the environment so that we can clean up areas that need improvement. We also told people about the River Valley Credit Union and dealt with general queries about the ongoing regeneration of the area and repairs.

To co-incide with our visit, we had arranged with the council for Mocha Parade to be smartened up and the painters were hard at work painting the bollards and grubby fascia boards above the shops. They are going to be there all week and we'll show the progress as it happens. Let's hope the sunny weather holds out!

Police activity
Sergeant Dave Stevens, Salford East Neighbourhood Policing Team

It's the second time a SNAP week has taken place in East Salford and having seen the benefits of the first one, the team are eager to get started. We and our partners are dedicated to serving residents to the best of our ability and I believe the week of action will help improve the lives of those living in the neighbourhood.

Today, we have been patrolling the area, providing reassurance to the community as well as aiming to disrupt any criminal activity that may be taking place. Whilst on patrol, one person was arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis and another issued a street warning for possession. I hope this sends out a clear message that possessing any drug is illegal and we will take action.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) equipment has been used to determine whether vehicles have been licensed, taxed and insured. During the day, 1,100 vehicles were scanned and two were stopped for offences. Although I would rather there be no offences at all, it is very pleasing to see that the vast majority of people driving in Lower Broughton are doing so legally.

150 addresses were visited and issued Smartwater technology. This is basically a special liquid DNA that can be put on valuables. It leaves a forensic fingerprint encoded with the owner's details, which is virtually impossible to move. If items are stolen, they can be traced back to the rightful owner. You can also help keep burglars out by locking all doors and windows.

The mobile police station was placed at Mocha Parade from 8.00am where we spoke to numerous people regarding their concerns and issues. This facility is an ideal way to tell us how you want your neighbourhood policed and for members of the public to prioritise the issues that need tackling first in their area If you can't attend the mobile police station then there are numerous opportunities via police surgeries that take place across the city. For more information on where and what time they take place, log onto the neighbourhood policing section on the Greater Manchester Police website. The mobile police station will be located at North Salford Youth Centre on Tuesday, Scovell Street on Wednesday, Teneriffe Street on Thursday and Northumberland Street and Bury New Road on Friday. They will be open between 8.00am and 6.00pm.

Day one of SNAP
Roger Baldry, Neighbourhood Manager, East Salford Neighbourhood Management team, Salford City Council

It's Monday morning. It's the start of my third week as Neighbourhood Manager in East Salford. But more importantly, it's the start of Broughton Snap Week.

Snap Week is a first for me. There has never been anything like this in any place that I have lived or worked. A week of events, clean-ups, places to drop-in to get help and advice, a chance to meet new people and have a bit of fun. This website tells you day by day about what's on.

Today, I am off to the opening of the new community space at Oakhill Court between 3.00pm and 5.00pm. So if you come along please say hello. I'll be the tall, white-haired fella taking photos.

This page was last updated on 17 January 2012