THE borough has pulled off a major coup with the news that it is to stage the UK's first National Neighbourhood/Community Warden conference.

Home Office Minister, Charles Clarke MP, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at the event.

The conference, on Thursday, December 2, will have a regional, national and international flavour.

Entitled "Neighbourhood and Community Wardens - Promoting Community Safety, Enhancing Quality of Life and Developing People," the event will feature case studies from around the country as well as on the continent.

Bury Council leader, Councillor Derek Boden, said: "The conference, which is being organised through our own Bury Community Safety Warden Project, will bring together existing and future practitioners, and a number of suppliers and experts from abroad, particularly Holland.

"As well as hearing of the Government's position in relation to patrolling wardens, the conference will provide a platform to hear about current research and discuss comments received on the Home Office consultation paper covering the subject.

"Our own Community Safety Wardens have proved to be a major asset in the town centre of Bury and this is a scheme that we would now very much like to see expanded to other towns in the borough."

He added: "Certainly, the wardens have proved their worth with community safety considered to have been improved while at the same time the individuals, who were previously unemployed, have benefited from the training and new qualifications they have received.

"As a result, several have moved on to permanent postions outside of the scheme."

Since its inauguration less than a year ago, when it was a national pioneer, Bury's Community Safety Warden project has received tremendous support from a variety of organisations, including Greater Manchester Police, and the new "ambassadors" on the town centre streets have been well received by local people and visitors alike.

Bury Council chief executive, Mr Dennis Taylor, commented: "If this new industry is to develop, we need everyone to work together to ensure quality training and procedures. "The conference in Bury provides the opportunity to network with existing practitioners and to share with others our experiences gained in Bury over the last year."

He went on: "We are excited that Bury is at the forefront of something so big and which has the ability to tackle so many policy priorities including crime, quality of life issues, unemployment and developing partnerships.

"Quite literally, within just a few years, there could be thousands of people working in this industry and we are proud of our part in pioneering it."

Providing a new "Presence on the Streets" in residential and town centre areas, through the introduction of Neighbourhood or Community Wardens is currently the subject of national debate by Government.

To help inform this growing debate, a variety of pilot projects, similar to Bury's, have been established throughout the UK. Utilising a wide range of funding sources they have adopted different approaches and methodologies.

The conference will be a way of looking at good practice and developing it on a national scale.

The event is expected to provide an excellent opportunity for local authorities and other organisations to familiarise themselves with recent developments and, at the same time, prove valuable for those organisations contemplating their own warden project in the future.

Further information is available by contacting Mrs Jean Gartside at the Community Safety Warden Project on (tel) 0161-253-6181, (fax) 0161-253-6182 or (e-mail) j.gartside@bury.gov.uk

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