Voluntary sector organisations contribute a wide variety of services in communities, from victim and witness support, to supporting perpetrators of anti-social behaviour to change their behaviour.  For details of some specific charities working in the field of anti-social behaviour see our Helpful Links.

Community Organisations and Champions

Within any community there will be invaluable activists and champions who care about their community and work tirelessly to improve life for all. Organisations that play a role in tackling anti-social behaviour include:

  • Church-based or faith groups, providing activities for young people
  • Neighbourhood watch, keeping an eye on what’s happening in the local area
  • Youth based groups such as youth clubs, scouts, brownies, guides and boys brigades.

Neighbourhood and Street Wardens

Neighbourhood and street wardens operate in many areas of the country, providing a highly visible, uniformed, semi-official presence in residential and public areas and town centres.

The schemes aim to promote community safety, improve the quality of life for local people and contribute to a reduction in crime and the fear of crime. One of their key aims is deterring anti-social behaviour, which might involve:

  • Providing a visiting service for particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly and victims of crime.
  • Assisting with environmental improvements such as litter, graffiti, dog fouling and improvements to housing.

Tenants and Residents Organisations

Many communities have tenants groups or associations, at which anti-social behaviour is a frequent topic. In some local authority areas management boards have been created to help run housing estates. These give tenants an active voice in the provision of services, including tackling anti-social behaviour. Contact your local housing department to find out if a board exists in your area.

Tenants’ compacts are agreements between local authority housing departments and local residents about service provision in their area, including tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.

For more information about TPAS, the Tenant Participation Advisory Service, see here: http://www.tpas.org.uk/