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Commissioner
joins Police to help keep Accrington revellers safe
LANCASHIRE'S Police and
Crime Commissioner will be heading out onto the streets of
Accrington this weekend to see first hand the work being done to
keep Christmas revellers safe.
Clive Grunshaw will join officers on patrol in the town and stop by
the Nightsafe Haven; a special flood lit van which aims to help
keep the town's streets trouble free by offering partygoers a place
to go for free water, medical assistance and any help and support
they might need.
It's been set up thanks to a partnership between Lancashire
Constabulary, County Council Trading Standards, Hyndburn Council's
Community Safety Partnership and licensed premises across the town
with the aim of ensuring everyone is able to enjoy their festive
nights out. And this Saturday the Commissioner will also get to see
first-hand how a new radio scheme linking the police, CCTV operators
and pubs and bars across Accrington is helping officers deal with
any trouble that does break out swiftly and effectively.
Mr Grunshaw said:- "Ultimately all anyone wants is to be able
to enjoy their Christmas nights out with their friends and work
colleagues in an environment where they feel safe and relaxed.
That is why the Nightsafe Haven is so important; if people do have
too much to drink, find themselves separated from their friends or
simply need someone to talk to, there is a safe place they can go.
It is an initiative which has been successful in the past, and I
hope it is again this year. Supported by the new radio scheme;
which will be a vital tool for both officers and licensees; I am
confident Accrington will be a safe place for everyone to enjoy
their parties."
The Nightsafe Haven will operate on Church Street in the town
between 10.30pm and 3am, every Saturday, in December, as well as
Friday, 19 December and Wednesday, 31 December 2014.
Insp Pam Holgate, from Accrington Police, said:- “We want
everyone to have both a safe and enjoyable time this Christmas and
New Year, and the Nightsafe Haven is one of the methods we will be
using to help ensure this happens.
We have partnered with licensed premises, Lancashire County Council Trading Standards and Hyndburn Community Safety Partnership to
provide the Nightsafe Haven service to ensure everyone has a happy
and enjoyable time.
The radio scheme will assist in making sure any person causing
problems or who has drunk too much will be followed by the CCTV
cameras across town. Police and Door staff will be notified of where
they are which will ensure they don't get into any other premises.
This will also enable Police officers to deal with them in a
positive manor and ensure that they don't spoil the evening for
everyone else"
Chair of Hyndburn's Community Safety Partnership, Councillor Pam
Barton, said:- “We're happy to support the nightsafe haven
scheme, which is all about helping people get home safely after
enjoying the Christmas festivities in Accrington.”
And County Councillor Janice Hanson, cabinet member for public
protection services, added:- "Trading Standards work with
managers of pubs and clubs to ensure their staff are well equipped
to serve alcohol responsibly and refuse underage sales.
Well managed venues can make a real difference to everyone's safety
and the health and prosperity of the night-time economy. We'll be
making additional resources available to ensure our Check 25 County
campaign is endorsed by all licensed premises in Accrington town
centre all year round."
As part of the preparations for the Christmas and New Year period,
Accrington Police and Trading Standards will also be visiting every
licensed premise within the town centre.
Plain clothes officers will also be patrolling the town centre's
pubs, bars and clubs to identify and deal with trouble before it
escalates.
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Family time tops
Christmas lists in the North of England
ARGUMENT free family time
comes top of most people in the North of England's Christmas list
this year, reveals a survey released by leading relationships
charity Relate Cheshire & Merseyside. With Christmas fast
approaching, 91% of people in the North of England asked by YouGov
said that spending time with immediate family was important to them
for a happy Christmas (respondents were given a list of options to
choose from). Interestingly, 84% of people also rated avoiding
family arguments as important.
The survey of over 400 people aged 16 and over also showed that
people seem to prioritise their closest family members during the
festive season, with 57% of those asked rating spending time with
extended family as important.
In fact, of the options listed, the only thing less important than
spending time with extended family was receiving the right gifts;
with 25% of people saying this was important for a happy Christmas.
And when it comes to gifts, it seems giving is better than
receiving, as 77% of people in the North of England said getting the
right gifts for others was fairly or very important for a happy
Christmas.
When asked what they were worried about this Christmas, the top
answer was the cost of the celebrations (42%).
The 2nd biggest worries at Christmas were not having enough time
to prepare and having family arguments (20% each) Cooking and
hosting Christmas, however, seems to be a walk in the park for many,
with 10% saying they were fairly or very worried about hosting and
7% saying they were worried about cooking.
Relate Counsellor Susie Woods said:- “Christmas can be a great
chance to spend time with loved ones, but it can also be really
stressful. High expectations, money worries and family tensions can
put a real strain on celebrations. It can seem impossible to please
everyone and sometimes the family home can feel like a simmering pot
just waiting to boil over.
But simple techniques like thinking about what you want to say
before voicing any concerns can really help to cool things down. And
some frustrations or arguments can be headed off before they ever
happen by making sure that everyone gets a chance to air hopes and
worries before the season gets into full swing. So get talking now!”
The poll also suggests that not everyone has a network of people to
share celebrations with: 14% of people in the North of England are
concerned about feeling lonely this Christmas. Susie continued:-
“Whilst it may seem like a struggle to include extended family
and friends in your celebrations, you might be able to make a huge
difference to someone who's feeling lonely at this time of year.”
Here are Relate Cheshire & Merseyside's 5
top tips for ensuring everyone has a happier Christmas:-
► Start talking early. Encourage everyone to be honest about their
festive hopes and fears.
► Don't overpromise. If something is impractical, or too expensive,
it's OK to explain why it can't happen.
► Try to compromise. For example, your partner might want to spend a
cosy Christmas alone together, whereas you might want to be with
your wider family. Compromise by waking up together and having a
special breakfast before joining the family for Christmas dinner.
► It's OK to say 'no'. If someone's wishes can't be accommodated,
explain why and see if it's possible to do something similar at a
later date.
► Enjoy yourself! Take a step back and try not to get too bogged
down in the organisation.
Relate Cheshire & Merseyside offers information, advice and
counselling for all relationships, including family counselling.
Call:- 0300 330 5793 or visit:-
relatecm.org.uk for more
information on how Relate Cheshire & Merseyside can support you and
your family this Christmas. |
