Falkirk team behind Neighbourhood Watch Scotland: 'It's just about looking out for people'

“It is as simple as that,” said manager and national co-ordinator Willie Clark.

A former police officer who pounded the beat in Polmont, Willie lives in Carronshore and has been leading the Stirling-based Neighbourhood Watch Scotland team for the last six years.

Neighbourhood Watch Scotland – a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) – began in 2011.

Willie said: “The values have never changed in all the years we have been running this – it’s about looking out for your neighbour.”

Helping Willie do just that are Mark Armstrong, another former police officer who lives in Stenhousemuir, and Varrie McDevitt, from Banknock, who brings her

formidable administration skills to the team.

The busy trio want to get away from the age old misconception that has dogged the public perception of neighbourhood watch since it began – that of the retired “curtain twitcher” who constantly watches the street and makes a report to police if they hear a can being kicked after midnight.

“We have a structure within Neighbourhood Watch Scotland,” said Willie. “But we’ve made it more flexible to suit community needs because every community is different.

"We have a saying ‘Your Watch, Your Way’.”

There are currently almost 2000 watches stretching the length and breadth of the whole country signed up with Neighbourhood Watch Scotland.

"We are seeing roughly 10 new watches signing up every month,” said Varrie. “COVID-19 brought communities together – there were 100 new watches formed in just

seven months during the height of the pandemic – and we are seeing that continue.”

Willie, Mark and Varrie provide face-to-face support for the country’s watches – they were due to attend a meeting in the Braes area this week – to get an update on

how things are going, inform people of any important developments and just keep them in the loop generally.

"We try to share anything that may impact them,” said Willie. “That’s the thing about Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, it’s a collective voice. It’s about sharing best practice.”

And that is a good thing when it comes to criminal activity like scams – one area can pass on details of an online con which they have been made aware of and pass on what they now to watches in another area.

As it always has been, the main problem neighbourhood watches are faced with – and the reason they probably form in the first place – is anti-social behaviour, in its many forms.

Police Scotland is currently working in partnership with Neighbourhood Watch Scotland on an alert system, which is designed to provide information and awareness to local residents relating to criminality or incidents of note ongoing in their local areas.

Mark said: “It’s totally free to sign up. You can sign up as an individual or as a group to receive these alerts at no cost.”

Watches which receive the alerts can then passed them on to members of their community – like elderly people – who may not have access to social media.

Visit the Neighbourhood Scotland website for more information.