St.Albans & City District: September's 2026 Newsletter!

St Albans City & District Neighbourhood Watch

Members’ Newsletter – September 2026

Dear Members and Residents,

I hope you are all keeping well.

September has been another busy month for Neighbourhood Watch across St Albans City & District, with lots happening across our communities. We continue to focus on connecting people, building trust and creating opportunities for residents to get involved.

Below is a fuller update on what has been happening and what is coming next.

Successful Macmillan Coffee Morning

A big thank you to everyone who supported the recent Macmillan Coffee Morning, hosted by the Baptist Church and supported by Neighbourhood Watch and AGM Centre, including mobility fitness activities.

It was a lovely community morning, bringing people together while raising money for an important cause.

We are pleased to share that the event raised:

£229.85 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Thank you to all the volunteers, organisers and residents who donated, attended and helped make the event such a success.

Events like this are also a valuable way for us to meet residents, build stronger local relationships and help people feel more connected within their community.

We Are Recruiting Local Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators

Our local Neighbourhood Watch network continues to grow, and we are looking for residents who would like to step forward and become Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators.

We are currently particularly looking for Ward Coordinators in:

You do not need to be an expert in crime prevention.

We are simply looking for friendly, community-minded people who care about where they live and would like to help residents stay informed and connected in there streets.

The role is flexible and voluntary, and you will be supported by the wider St Albans City & District Neighbourhood Watch team.

If you have been thinking about getting involved but have not yet stepped forward, please do consider joining us.

We are building a thriving community of people who genuinely want to support their neighbours and strengthen their local area.

Building Trust with Local Businesses – Collective Gallery in Holywell Hill

We are continuing to develop relationships with local businesses and organisations as part of our wider aim of building trust and stronger community connections.

One of these partnerships is with the Collective Gallery in St Albans.

The gallery is currently offering a paid casual Gallery Hosting opportunity.

They are looking for reliable people who enjoy art and meeting others to join a casual pool of temporary staff to help look after the gallery on selected exhibition days.

No previous gallery or arts experience is required.

The role mainly involves:

The gallery will provide the information needed about exhibitions and the role. During quieter periods, hosts may also bring a book, laptop or their own creative project to work on.

For more information, contact:

info@collectivegallery.co.uk

Our Community Allotment at Sowpell Farm

We are also pleased to share that we have now started our community allotment at Sowpell Farm.

We have already had a few people come forward to get involved, which is wonderful to see.

The allotment is another way of bringing residents together in a relaxed and practical environment.

You do not need to be an experienced gardener.

If you enjoy being outdoors, meeting people, growing things or simply lending a hand, you would be very welcome.

We hope this will become a friendly outdoor community space where people can connect, contribute and enjoy spending time together.

If you would like to join us, please drop me an email or message and I will send you more information.

Coming Up – Safer St Albans Academy

We are very excited to be launching our Safer St Albans Academy.

The online programme starts on:

Wednesday 21 October at 7:00pm

The Academy will be led by Alan Bellinger and supported by all of us at Neighbourhood Watch.

We have a strong programme of speakers planned, covering practical and useful subjects around:

The aim is to provide residents with useful information in an accessible online format.

You can view the programme and register through Eventbrite using the QR code in the visual newsletter.

We hope many of you will join us.

Community Speed Watch Training

If you are interested in becoming more involved in practical community safety, we are also looking for residents who may wish to support Community Speed Watch.

This gives volunteers an opportunity to work alongside the police and learn how Speed Watch equipment is used.

Training is expected to take place over the coming month.

If this is something you would be interested in learning more about, please let us know.

It is another practical way residents can support road safety and contribute to their local community.

Residents’ Meetings and Police Engagement

We also have a number of residents’ meetings and further police engagement activities being planned.

These will provide opportunities for residents to:

Please keep an eye on our local notice boards throughout the month, as we will be posting information about upcoming activities and opportunities.

Volunteer with Us

We are always grateful to hear from residents who would like to support our events or wider community activity.

You do not need to make a large commitment.

Even helping for a short period at an event, meeting residents, assisting with refreshments or helping with community activities can make a real difference.

If you would like to volunteer at any of our events or activities, please get in touch.

Keeping Connected

Our aim is to continue building a Neighbourhood Watch network that is friendly, visible and connected to the communities we serve.

Whether you would like to:

we would be very pleased to hear from you.

Thank you for continuing to support Neighbourhood Watch and for helping us build safer, healthier and more connected communities across St Albans City & District.

Warm regards,

Antonella Meli
District Coordinator
St Albans City & District Neighbourhood Watch

Together, let’s continue to look out for one another.