Burg-Wächter has launched a unique outreach scheme offering cash and security products to support community causes. The Burg-Wächter Secure Communities Scheme issues awards of up to £1,000 cash to community-run projects and aims to distribute £12,000 of funds per year. The awards also include security advice and products with an average value of £150 at retail.
“We hope locksmiths, retailers and stockists will help us attract applications for the scheme” comments Mark Pearson from Burg-Wächter. “If their local community is involved in a project or fund-raiser where a cash injection would help, the aim is for stockists and retailers to connect the organisers with our scheme.”
Besides festivals, fetes and shows, the Secure Communities Scheme also applies to maintenance or refurbishment projects relating to community property or open spaces. This could involve allotments, common areas, village halls, sports fields or activity centres. Community events and activities are also eligible such as school breakfast clubs, food banks or firework displays and fun runs.
Burg-Wächter is known for its safes and post-boxes alongside an extensive range of locking products. Mark Pearson explains: “Burg-Wächter regularly receives requests for products to support charitable and community causes, anything from digital door locks or combination padlocks to wi-fi cameras and alarms. The Secure Communities Scheme enables us to formalise and scale up our charitable and community support, so that it reaches a wider audience.”
By asking locksmiths, stockists and retailers to help promote the scheme, Burg-Wächter is hoping to reach as many community organisers as possible. A strong local community helps individuals to feel secure and safe. Burg-Wächter products also play an important role in helping individuals and business to keep safe and secure, so this community-based security-scheme is an ideal fit all around. Mark Pearson continues: “We think engaging with communities is beneficial for everyone who supplies or sells security products and services. It not only provides valuable support to local projects, but it creates a positive role for security expertise, which is so often connected with negative events. The scheme gets security issues addressed actively and positively. We believe this will lead to greater dialogue about security going forward, whether with retailers, stockists or ourselves. This is beneficial everyone concerned.”
Pilot projects for the scheme included supporting the Maldon Festival of Art and Music in Essex and the Mirfield Show in Yorkshire. Both are grass-roots projects run by their local communities for whom a cash award in support of their activity has made a considerable difference. Both also made use of the security element of the prizes.
Secure Community Scheme Pilot Project: The Maldon Festival:
The Maldon Festival runs for a fortnight in mid-summer, playing to audiences drawn from the town and surrounding region of Essex. The Festival involves the local community in staging, performing and attending musical performances and art exhibitions. It also attracts new visitors to Maldon and showcases the town as a growing creative hub. The Maldon Festival attracted £500 in seed funds from the Secure Communities Scheme to support the publicity and staging of the event. It also received a security kit of products that enabled organisers to secure venues and manage cash throughout the event. Event organiser Colin Baldy said. “The Secure Communities Scheme funding is flexible so we could use it exactly where we needed, which was ideal. We found the application process was straightforward and the Burg-Wächter team was really supportive helping us to identify and solve our security issues, even down to the simple provision of cash boxes for managing ticket and bar sales. The award made a significant difference to us.”
Secure Community Scheme Pilot Project: Mirfield Show:
The Mirfield Show is based on a traditional agricultural show which includes all-round entertainment for the whole family. It is staged by The Mirfield Agricultural Association and is over 70 years old and is organised by local volunteers. It has been reinvigorated in recent years, building up its audience who appreciate the show’s unique mix of local rivalry and community spirit plus its outstanding entertainment with plenty of opportunities for family fun. Show organiser Joe Kelly explains. “Mirfield Show is proud to be one of the lowest priced family agricultural days out in Yorkshire. We offer such a large number of events, competitions and attractions that families often tell us they are hard pushed to get around them all in the day!”
The Mirfield Show received a Secure Communities Scheme award of £1,000 cash and a Show Security Kit to help keep the event keep safe and sound. The award was used to contribute to the set-up costs for the show and some of the money was put towards paying for the entertainment that is a key part of the event. Joe Kelly adds “The Secure Communities Scheme offers a very practical and useful award that has helped us protect and secure the Show, both physically and financially. We are very grateful to Burg-Wächter for its support”.
Visit https://www.burg-wachter.co.uk/community/ for more information and to download an application pack, or contact SCS@burg.biz