Council seeks volunteers to be 'eyes and ears' (From Harrow Times)

Harrow Council seeks volunteers to be 'eyes and ears'

1:01pm Thursday 18th October 2012 in News By David Hardiman, Reporter

Krishna Tulsania, who signed up to the scheme nearly two years ago, is the face of the campaign.

A scheme aiming to have a volunteer in every street in the borough reporting nuisance behaviour has been launched by the council.

The Neighbourhood Champions project is an effort to form a network of volunteers reporting things like litter, graffiti and fly-tipping to Harrow Council in a bid to fix issues as soon as possible.

There are already 900 people signed up who can report problems online or by phone, but councillors and police want every street in the borough to have a volunteer and have denied it encourages spying on neighbours.

Krishna Tulsania, 29, has been a volunteer for nearly two years and says she feels it is a way to “make a difference” to her community.

She added: “I’m a very busy person as I work with a lot of other charities in Harrow, but despite this I still find time to be a Neighbourhood Champion as it’s very easy to fit in around everything else.

“Whenever I’m out walking with my mum I keep an eye out for any problems that need reporting and post leaflets through doors. I’m really proud of where I live and I like working in my community.

“I like being a source of help to people and it’s good to know that I can now knock on my neighbour’s doors to let them know where they can report problems or how avoid burglaries.”

The project, which does not impose any formal obligations to those who sign up and is completely voluntary, is jointly run by the council and the Metropolitan Police.

Councillor Phillip O’Dell, portfolio holder for environment, said: “Our Neighbourhood Champions are incredibly valued – they are the eyes and ears of our community and their input is incredibly important to us.”

For more information or to sign up, click here or call the council on 0208 901 2666.