Malvern SNT spread the Christmas spirit

Malvern Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) officers worked alongside various agencies during December to spread the ‘Christmas spirit’ within the community.

Working with local schools, PCSO Kerry Plant instigated a pupil Christmas card design competition during November and early December. The children were given the brief of designing a Christmas card that showed West Mercia Police and the local community working together to make the area safer.

Following the receipt of a high number of entries, the winning card and two runners-up were decided. The three pupils were presented with prize hampers containing numerous items donated by Morrison’s Store of Roman Way Retail Park.

Christmas is a time most of us associate with celebrating festivities with family and friends, but for some it can be a lonely and challenging time of the year. Malvern’s SNT wanted to show that there is a strong local community spirit alongside raising awareness.

With this in mind PCSO Kerry Plant and PCSO Tracey Baker collected items for a shoe box appeal for those that find themselves homeless over the Christmas period and for other vulnerable members of the local community.

The collection was a huge success with donations being made by pupils and staff at The Chase High School and staff at Malvern Police Station.

The Christmas shoe boxes contained items such as hats, gloves, toiletries along with the winning Christmas card. Officers delivered the gifts on Christmas Eve, additional to this, a large number of other donated items were delivered to the Malvern Foodbank for their onward distribution.

On Christmas Day PC Andy Burbidge took two local elderly residents to Perrins House Nursing Home run by Friends of the Elderly, where they were provided with a full Christmas dinner with the care home residents. This being appreciatively prepared and funded by Friends of the Elderly, Malvern, for those alone in the community.

Sergeant Simon Hallam of the Malvern Hills Safer Neighbourhood Team commented: “This is a fine example of the local Malvern community spirit where some small activities can make a great difference to some of our more vulnerable individuals. Many thanks to all involved.”