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Hi, I've been trying to kick-start the Maple Rd South NHW scheme but getting nowhere. I've requested membership cards and emailed various contacts but to no avail. Just need a contact who can help. Thanks

I've been a coordinator for two NW groups since 1998 and one thing has always baffled me is why Avon and Somerset Police have coordinators work in silos to other other coordinators, to me this seems wrong and limits our effectiveness. When someone is a new coordinator for a new NW group they need an experienced coordinator to help explain why things are done as they are, where to get advice, someone to tell them about websites like www.asnwa.org . Without the support of another coordinator they then have to contact ASP to ask the questions, taking ASP officers away from other matters. Again with this silo culture when new NW tools come available ASP don't tell us, I'm not blaming ASP officers for not telling us because they have other priorities but instead making the point if coordinators work together we share information and tell each other about a great new tool becoming available. To my way of thinking NW coordinators should be taking work away from ASP officers but because of this silo culture the reverse happens and coordinators end up being zombies. What I'm asking for: 1) The Terms and Conditions for all NW coordinators changed to say they are happy to share contact details like email address with other local coordinators to help support each other, 2) A new coordinator is assigned 'an experienced buddy coordinator' to mentor the new coordinator. From my experience I find other coordinators are fine with sharing an email address, and if they aren't prepared to work with other coordinators then you have got to question whether they are fit to be a NW coordinator. Noted www.ourwatch.org.uk has now given us a tool to make contact with other coordinators, but a new coordinator would need to be told about this in the first place or get lucky and accidentally find the feature, plus some NW groups are not on it.