16 | NOVEMBER 2019
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
BURG-WÄCHTER LAUNCHES THE SECURITY INDUSTRY’S
FIRST CASH-BASED COMMUNITY AWARD SCHEME
Burg-Wächter has launched a unique outreach scheme offering cash and security products to
support community causes. The Burg-Wächter Secure Communities Scheme issues awards of
up to £1,000 cash to community-run projects and aims to distribute £12,000 of funds per year.
The awards also include security advice and products with an average value of £150 at retail.
Besides festivals, fetes and
shows, the Secure Communities
Scheme also applies to mainte-
nance or refurbishment projects
relating to community property or
open spaces. This could involve
allotments, common areas, vil-
lage halls, sports fields or activity
centres. Community events and
activities are also eligible such as
school breakfast clubs, food banks
or firework displays and fun runs.
Burg-Wächter is known for its
safes and post-boxes alongside
an extensive range of locking
products. Mark Pearson explains:
“Burg-Wächter regularly receives
requests for products to support
charitable and community causes,
anything from digital door locks
or combination padlocks to wi-fi
cameras and alarms. The Secure
Communities Scheme enables us
to formalise and scale up our char-
itable and community support, so
that it reaches a wider audience.”
By asking locksmiths, stockists
and retailers to help promote the
scheme, Burg-Wächter is hoping
to reach as many community or-
ganisers as possible. A strong local
community helps individuals to
feel secure and safe. Burg-Wächter
products also play an important
role in helping individuals and
business to keep safe and secure,
so this community-based securi-
ty-scheme is an ideal fit all around.
Mark Pearson continues: “We
think engaging with communities
is beneficial for everyone who
supplies or sells security products
and services. It not only provides
valuable support to local projects,
but it creates a positive role for se-
curity expertise, which is so often
connected with negative events.
The scheme gets security issues
addressed actively and positively.
We believe this will lead to greater
dialogue about security going
forward, whether with retailers,
stockists or ourselves. This is ben-
eficial everyone concerned.”
Pilot projects for the scheme
included supporting the Maldon
Festival of Art and Music in Essex
and the Mirfield Show in York-
shire. Both are grass-roots projects
run by their local communities for
whom a cash award in support of
their activity has made a consid-
erable difference. Both also made
use of the security element of the
prizes.
Secure Community
Scheme Pilot Project:
The Maldon Festival:
The Maldon Festival runs for a
fortnight in mid-summer, playing
to audiences drawn from the town
and surrounding region of Essex.
The Festival involves the local
community in staging, performing
and attending musical performanc-
es and art exhibitions. It also at-
tracts new visitors to Maldon and
showcases the town as a growing
creative hub.
the Burg-Wächter
‘ team
was really
supportive helping
us to identify
and solve our
security issues
’
The Maldon Festival attract-
ed £500 in seed funds from the
Secure Communities Scheme to
support the publicity and stag-
ing of the event. It also received
a security kit of products that
enabled organisers to secure
venues and manage cash through-
out the event. Event organiser
Colin Baldy said: “The Secure
Communities Scheme funding is
flexible so we could use it exactly
where we needed, which was
ideal. We found the application
process was straightforward and
the Burg-Wächter team was really
supportive helping us to identify
and solve our security issues, even
down to the simple provision of
cash boxes for managing ticket
and bar sales. The award made a
significant difference to us.”
Secure Community
Scheme Pilot Project:
Mirfield Show:
The Mirfield Show is based on
a traditional agricultural show
which includes all-round enter-
tainment for the whole family. It
is staged by The Mirfield Agri-
cultural Association and is over
70 years old and is organised by
local volunteers. It has been rein-
vigorated in recent years, building
up its audience who appreciate
the show’s unique mix of local
rivalry and community spirit plus
its outstanding entertainment with
plenty of opportunities for family
fun. Show organiser Joe Kelly
explains. “Mirfield Show is proud
to be one of the lowest priced
family agricultural days out in
Yorkshire. We offer such a large
number of events, competitions
and attractions that families often
tell us they are hard pushed to get
around them all in the day.”
The Mirfield Show received
a Secure Communities Scheme
award of £1,000 cash and a Show
Security Kit to help keep the
event keep safe and sound. The
award was used to contribute
to the set-up costs for the show
and some of the money was put
towards paying for the enter-
tainment that is a key part of the
event. Joe Kelly adds “The Secure
Communities Scheme offers a
very practical and useful award
that has helped us protect and
secure the Show, both physical-
ly and financially. We are very
grateful to Burg-Wächter for its
support.”
Visit http://www.burg-wachter.
co.uk/community/ for more
information and to download
an application pack, or contact
[email protected]