* From Left; PACT Manager David Evans, volunteers Sonia Jones and Mark Owen, PACT chairman Ashley Rogers and volunteer Gary Leighton-Jones.
A search has been
launched for a trio of volunteer crime busters.
The call has come
from the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) which is celebrating its
25th anniversary this year.
The charity is
looking to recruit the volunteers, one to work in each of the three policing
divisions, Flintshire and Wrexham, Conwy and Denbighshire and Gwynedd and
Anglesey.
PACT recently
revealed that it has handed out more than £2 million in grants and funded over
2,500 community projects since it was founded in 1998.
To celebrate
reaching the milestone it set up a £25,000 anniversary fund and is inviting
bids for grants of up to £2,500 for local initiatives across the region –
the deadline for submissions is June 30.
Fittingly, much of
PACT’s funding comes from cash seized from criminals and recycled for
the public good.
The organisation works
closely with North Wales Police’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams, particularly
the network of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).
According to PACT, its main
purpose is to provide funding to community and voluntary groups for
schemes that improve people’s quality of life by reducing crime and the fear of
crime.
Chair Ashley Rogers said:
“We’re celebrating a quarter of a century of PACT but we are certainly not
resting on our laurels. We want to build on what we have achieved so far for
the next 25 years.
“Our success has been based
largely on the help we have received from volunteers and we are looking to
recruit more so we can ramp up our activity.
“If you’re passionate about
our communities and you want to get involved, this is a great opportunity to
interact and get to visit some amazing projects that are doing exceptional work
in the community.
“Much of our funding is
sourced from the ill-gotten gains of criminals. This is about restorative
justice and it’s very appropriate that the money is used to help support the
communities that have been damaged by crime, converting bad money into
something good. It’s poetic justice.”
Mark Owen, head of Citizens
in Policing and the Special Constabulary Chief Officer at North Wales Police,
was involved in the setting up of PACT when he was an Inspector looking after
community safety for the force.
He said: “What PACT has
achieved is absolutely superb, all the grants that have been awarded and the
good work that has taken place since it was founded. It’s just fabulous.
“The direct link into my
current role as the person in charge of police volunteering for North Wales,
with Special Constables, Police Support Volunteers and Cadets, is that they
benefit directly from PACT.
“We’re now working on a
programme for our Special Constables to become ambassadors for PACT at the
local level, creating a beautiful loop from police volunteering and back again.
“If anything, PACT is more
relevant now that it ever was and it helps make communities safer.
“There’s a lot of academic
research that shows that volunteers get a feelgood factor and a sense of value.
It’s good for you.
“For people who are on the
verge of retiring or have recently retired, they have invaluable skills and
knowledge that might otherwise go to waste.
“By volunteering, you’re
not only giving something back you’re getting that positivity and a buzz from
helping others.”
Mum-of-two Sonia Jones
works full time as the admin manager of the pharmacy at Ysbyty Gwynedd, in
Bangor, and has been a special constable for seven years.
She volunteers for around
30 hours a month on the beat in Anglesey and has same powers as all other
police officers – the only difference is that she is not paid.
Sonia said she’s delighted
to become an ambassador for PACT, having witnessed the good work that they do.
She said: “Policing is
always something that I have aspired to do. However, life just got in the way
and now I am getting the best of both worlds.
“I enjoy giving something
back and putting the uniform on gives me a big sense of pride. It makes you
feel special. I just love it.”
Gary Leighton-Jones worked
as a member of staff in the Operational Planning Department at North Wales
Police for 21 years.
He now does a range of
voluntary work for North Wales Police, doing debriefs of critical incidents,
role playing for training exercises and I also run the force lottery.
Gary said: “I enjoyed my
time at North Wales Police greatly and I wanted to keep active after I
retired because I thought I still had things to offer.
“I thoroughly recommend the
notion of volunteering because I believe in giving something back to society. I
get the satisfaction of helping.”
PACT Project Manager Dave
Evans said: “We’re looking for a small cohort of volunteers who are committed
to helping us engage with community groups across the six counties and almost
act an advocate for PACT, encouraging groups to apply for funding and also
importantly carrying out some project feedback and find out how effective, or
otherwise it’s been.
“We work closely with the
network of PCSOs and are excited to be developing this work with the army of
Special Constables, volunteer police officers, who work across North Wales.
“We are looking for people
who are interested in community affairs and want to make a real difference and
make North Wales a safer place to live, work and visit.”
* Anybody interested
in becoming a volunteer or making a bid for a grant should go to the PACT
website www.pactnorthwales.co.uk or email enquiries@pactnorthwales.co.uk or contact Dave Evans on 01745 588516
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