Community Safety

Active Communities is a community safety project funded by the Office of Police Crime Commissioner (OPCC), which has been running successfully for over 7 years.

This project seeks to challenge old mindsets, raising awareness on topics which often carry stigma, are taboo and not openly spoken about within ethnic minority communities.

We create a safe space so that we can discuss these topics, encouraging communities to share their experiences, and to challenge wrong behaviour by adopting a zero-tolerance policy. We give clarity on individual’s rights and responsibilities, advise on available services, how to access them and encourage community collaboration.

The overarching aim of this project is to engage, empower, and educate ethnic minority communities, working in partnership with the OPCC to make Surrey a safer and more inclusive county to work and live in.

We have raised awareness through different avenues, on 4 keys topics:

1. Hate Crime

a. Facilitating Scrutiny Hate Crime Panel with Surrey Police

b. Delivering workshops to secondary school children on Hate Crime

c. Organising 'Voices Heard events' for ethnic minority communities

d. Facilitating community engagement with Surrey Police

2. Domestic Abuse / HTP / FGM / Honour Killings

3. Drugs & Alcohol Misuse

Delivering awareness workshops to the community informing them of their rights, the services/help available and how they can access these services/help.

4. Internet Safety/Child Sexual Exploitation/Cyber Crime

Delivering workshops with parents, advising them on the dangers of the internet to better equip them in protecting their children out on-line.

For more information, contact Manjit Kalsi at manjit.kalsi@smef.org.uk