A unique, printed community safety guide aimed at older people. Kick started by Big Local and now rolled out to 1000s of people
When? originally 2020. Further editions 2020-2024. Ongoing.
Partners: VANEL. Capacity Buildings Ltd. Community Safety Partnership.
Christmas 2020 was not normal. Covid-19 had forced lockdowns and as Winter approached, the first vaccines were being introduced.
VANEL and Big Local North Cleethorpes started working with local partners including the local Policing team to look at what important messages could be shared with the public and how this could happen. We decided to target older people first who might be less online and not connected to social media yet would need to get advice.
The result was a small print run of the original “Stay Safe” booklet focused on Cleethorpes and which the Police then helped to hand out to older people as they queued for their first jabs. The very first 250 copies went in no time at all.
Whilst that first print run was a VANEL and Big Local North Cleethorpes led initiative, funding for it came largely via the NEL Community Safety Partnership. Later on Big Local started investing some funds in a small number of print runs.
The very first edition was Christmas 2020 and can be downloaded as a .pdf here. This focused on Cleethorpes advice; included a range of covid related messages and a focus on scams.
The next edition was also for Cleethorpes printed in January 2021 as a ‘winter’ edition. Download that issue as a .pdf here.
After that, we prepared a number of editions in different areas funded from various partners. East Marsh Involve funded an edition for East Marsh. Safer Streets West Marsh helped fund a West Marsh edition and Big Local North Cleethorpes supported Cleethorpes versions. Funders included local Ward Councillors too.
A final, Cleethorpes specific edition part funded by Big Local North Cleethorpes was produced May 2021. Download that here.
Gradually further editions have evolved. A website was funded by Safer Streets East Marsh in 2023 so that the contents and advice could also go online along with an audio version.
The latest edition at the end 2024 at the close of the Big Local North Cleethorpes project is the generic 2023 edition funded through Safer Streets East Marsh. Download that one here.
All editions to date have largely been written, edited and assembled by Karl Elliott, VANEL, but also Development Worker for Big Local North Cleethorpes.
A success story
The Stay Safe guide was an attempt to reach older people with important advice at a critical time of Covid. It has evolved into a guide reprinted many times and continually updated. (Latest version should be a Humber wide edition for 2025 sponsored by HumberWatch and the Police and Crime Commissioner).
The guides are widely available from community venues across NEL and are used by the Police and other community partners as part of their approach to spread community safety advice. They are used alongside scams/fraud advice as part of Fraudwatch. They form a part of the delivery of the ongoing Keeping Older People Safe (KOPS) initiative led by VANEL.
Perhaps a total of 10000 copies have reached older more vulnerable residents across North East Lincolnshire as a result of this initiative started in Cleethorpes by Big Local North Cleethorpes and partners.
More information
via VANEL and the Stay Safe website at www.staysafenel.com