This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Wardens get into seasonal spirit
27/12/2004
Community wardens across Scotland have pulled on red
suits and woolly beards to bring festive cheer to their
areas - as well as helping to keep the streets safe from
antisocial behaviour.
The wardens have established themselves ub tackling
antisocial behaviour and have been working on a wide range
of local, festive initiatives which include:
- Decorating the local old peoples home in
Boghall
- Distributing of Soft Drink and Drive leaflets in
the Borders
- Salting icy paths for the elderly in
Clackmannanshire
- Delivering Christmas cards to the vulnerable,
elderly and Community groups in Blackburn
- Organising collections of toys and books to ensure
that children of homeless families in West Lothian
receive presents from Santa
- Distributing crime prevention literature in
Aberdeenshire
In addition, Kilwinning community wardens played the
part of the Ugly Sisters in a local production of
Cinderella whilst wardens in Blackburn rescued an abandoned
kitten from an empty house and found it a home for
Christmas.
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Community wardens have been a success story across
Scotland. They have already established themselves as
trusted resources for the community, dealing effectively
with antisocial behaviour.
"Every council in Scotland has now appointed community
wardens. Around 400 wardens are already in place, and
within the next few months we expect around 550 wardens
funded by the Scottish Executive to be patrolling Scotlands
streets.
"Christmas can be a difficult time for vulnerable people
in our communities. But it is also a time for communities
to come together, to give and to share, a time to build the
respect for each other that helps us to be stronger.
"I would like to thank community wardens across the
country for their hard work and for their festive efforts
to ensure that Christmas does not forget the vulnerable in
their local areas.
Community wardens can undertake a variety of tasks.
Local authorities, together with the police, their
community planning partners and local communities decide on
local priorities and precise duties.
Warden schemes aim to:
- Reduce crime and the fear of crime, including youth
crime
- Reduce vandalism and antisocial behaviour
- Improve environmental quality
- Promoting social cohesion and building community
pride.
The Executive has committed almost £22 million to
support the deployment of community wardens across Scotland
as part of its strategy to tackle antisocial behaviour.