Keeping our Community Safe 51Keeping our Community Safe

By Tracy Moore, Neighbourhood Watch and Bill Cunningham, Scamwatch

I would like to introduce myself as the new Shepperton Watch co-ordinator having recently taken over from Mr Mick Hussey. It was a while ago now however; my day job has unfortunately kept me extremely busy! I have Neighbourhood Watchbeen told I have big shoes to fill so please join me in thanking Mick for all his very generous years of fulfilling this supportive community role so I would like to introduce myself as the new Shepperton Watch cowell. A bit about my motivation; I started a watch for my own close in 2019 having recently after a number of incidents occurred in the close with my neighbours and then I had an attempted break in at my own house. I volunteered to become the Shepperton coordinator as I wanted however; my day job has unfortunately kept me extremely busy! I have to help the community become more aware of what is happening around them and help signpost tools and resources that can help and assist you in hopefully becoming less of a target for crimibeen told I have big shoes to fill so please join me in thanking Mick for all his very generous years of fulfilling this supportive community role so nals. I plan to start a Neighborhood Watch social media Facebook page and this will be set up shortly. Anyone will be able to access this across Shepperton and I hope to understand more in the next few days about the requirements for running such a page (there are quite a few requirewell.ments!). If you are interested in becoming a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator for your road, street or A bit about my motivation; I started a watch for my own close in 2019 group of houses, please do get in touch, it’s probably not like what you expect! Tracy (Shepperton NHW Coordinator). Please email wadhamnhw@gmail.com after a number of incidents occurred in the close with my neighbours and then I had an attempted break in at my own house. I volunteered to become the Shepperton coordinator as I wanted Ever thought about buying online? By Bill Cunningham to help the community become more aware of what is happening around them and help signpost You are not alone! Increasingly too are more fraudsters earning off the online traffic. So there’s tools and resources that can help and assist you in hopefully becoming less of a target for crimi-a lot we should consider before parting with our card details. The padlock in the address bar means our website purchase has password and card details nals. I plan to start a Neighborhood Watch social media Facebook page and this will be set up scrambled. But we can still be securely communicating with a crook! Has the website an office contact number, full address and email. If not then do we really want shortly. Anyone will be able to access this across Shepperton and I hope to understand more in the product that much to risk our personal and payment details? the next few days about the requirements for running such a page (there are quite a few require-Retailer reviews by such as Trustpilot can have the stars given manipulated. It would be comforting if all sellers with 100% 5 star ratings meant pretty much a guarantee of quality, but fake ments!). reviews happen. If only 5 stars showing and wonderful praise we know real life is not like that. Even if the If you are interested in becoming a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator for your road, street or products actually are outstanding, some will rubbish them. Where many of the reviews are nearly/ exactly the same, gushing, then maybe from the same group of houses, please do get in touch, ithand? Prices dramatically lower than the same product got elsewhere? We know, don’t we, that if it’s Tracy (Shepperton NHW Coordinator). Please email too good to be true then …. For something that costs more than £100 we should pay by a credit card. Read info on section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act to see why. If spending less or paying by debit card then see Chargeback Scheme on moneysavingexpert.com. It’s still best to avoid paying by bank transfer unless it’s the only payment method Ever thought about buying online? available, and we should be really convinced that we are dealing with a trustworthy retailer. All this checking takes time and we can take shortcuts. Depends really on how much we are prepared to risk. By Bill Cunningham

Having been reading voraciously during these lockdown months I was so pleased to see this new group pop up on Facebook.

The Shepperton Book Swap was the brain child of Evelyn Loy, a Co-Op member pioneer, who hit on the idea as part of their Covid relief project. There are currently 70 members. Evelyn ‘displays’ books available by genre on the group page or members post their own books. Then make a selection, list books you have to swap and arrange an exchange in the high street. If you are not on social media please contact Evelyn by email: evelyn.loy@coop.co.uk and she will let you know what she has and arrange a swap/collection.