Interim mayor praises community projects

Pictured at the number plate crime prevention day are (back, from the left) Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd, PC Kristian Kurmul, car owner Tracy Eccles and PCSO Joanna Haigh. Front is AA mechanic Chris Handley

Greater Manchester’s interim Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd yesterday visited Waterhead to see how two projects have had a positive impact on the community.

Mr Lloyd was at Waterhead’s Veg In the Park and NEON Community hub. The former is a community allotment in Waterhead Park that works with young people to help tackle anti-social behaviour, while

NEON, in a former council office, is a community centre offering advice services, a cafe, IT courses, a job club and counselling.

Mr Lloyd said: “They are absolutely great projects. Veg In the Park has now got a significant number of people involved in growing things - people who have never grown anything before in their lives. They are being opened up to an entirely different world and it truly has changed the community for the better.

“Then in the same area you have NEON community hub. I have been in there talking about issues in the area around anti-social behaviour and how the Waterhead community have come together to change that. It’s great to see.

During his visit to Waterhead Mr Lloyd also stopped at Asda in Huddersfield Road, where a mobile police station was running a number plate crime prevention day.

PCSOs and police officers gave the public advice on crime prevention, while the AA offered to refit licence plates with tamper-proof screws.