A Brighton park which was at risk of becoming a no go zone thanks to a spate of yobbish behaviour is already seeing improvements after the community rallied round.
In recent weeks Tarner Park, off Sussex Street, has been hit by arson and vandalism with large groups of youths swearing and riding motorbikes after dark.
The final straw for regular park users came when bikes belonging to the after school club based there were stolen last month, which prompted a public meeting and the formation of a Friends of Tarner Park group.
Now, Sussex Police has donated £500 which will go most of the way to paying for a new CCTV system – and a new youth group has already started to have an impact on antisocial behaviour.
Emma Jacquest, CEO of the Tarner Community Project, which runs the after school club and other youth schemes, said: “The park issues subsided a bit as we have started a youth group with the young people most at risk.
“The police have paid for most of the CCTV and this will go around the building next week. Tarner Community Project are extremely grateful for this donation.
“I feel we are making progress and although I am determined to make the park a safe space for the whole community I know this won’t happen overnight. We are working closely with the council and the police and will keep going so to tackle this.”
The donation comes from the Police Property Act Fund (PPAF), made up of monies received by the police from property confiscated by order of the court and then sold.
PCSO Daniel Smith said: “The donation will benefit the entire community by increasing public safety and providing peace of mind to staff and the community who use the site at Tarner Park.”
The first meeting of the Friends of Tarner Park will take place at the Tarner Community Project playbase on 30 November 2016 at 6.30pm.
Meanwhile, the group is asking people to vote for its She Sanctuary Girls’ Group to win a £5k grant from the One Family Foundation Award which would allow us to run the group once a week, providing friendship, advice and a safe place to come for young women in the Tarner area. The money would be used to employ a dedicated youth worker and run activities and outings.
