CR News and Case Studies

The Prudential-owned West Orchards Shopping Centre, managed by PRUPIM, collect award for a Prudential 4 Youth Project

28 Jun 2006

The Prudential-owned West Orchards Shopping Centre, managed by PRUPIM, collected a Sceptre award last night for a Prudential 4 Youth project, a partnership between Crime Concern and Prudential Plc, at a ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square in London.

The ‘TXT Zone’ scheme at West Orchards won the award for Technological Innovation of the year for 2006.

The ‘Txt Zone’ idea was created by a group of young people taking part in the !Say Yes! Challenge which promotes social awareness combined with youth enterprise, led by young people in secondary schools. As a result of the ‘Txt Zone’ scheme, West Orchards is now colour and number coded throughout and if at any time shoppers feel intimidated, unsafe or witness anything inappropriate, they can send a message to the ‘Txt Zone’ number with the colour and number zone they are in. This information goes direct to West Orchards Security who can then respond immediately to any problem. This facility is completely free of charge to the sender and was designed by the young people.

A recent user survey has shown that people think ‘Txt Zone’ is a good idea by encouraging the instant and easy reporting of incidents that might otherwise be ignored. In fact 74% of customers felt safer as a result of the scheme being in operation. The centre management and security team believe that the publicity alone has contributed to a reduction in recorded incidents.

As awareness of the scheme grows, an ever increasing number of people are expected to use the service with the possibility of extending the scheme to all Prudential-owned shopping centres.

Andy Talbot, West Orchards Shopping Centre Manager said:

“The Say Yes campaign was well managed and went very smoothly; there were clear objectives which were delivered brilliantly engaging the students from the start. The project achieved its aims to investigate anti-social behaviour from a social enterprise perspective. I am thrilled that the shopping centre industry has recognised our commitment to great service.”

Hazel Blears, former Minister of State at the Home Office who visited the ‘TXT Zone’ project early this year said:

“I think it’s an excellent idea, which utilises new technology. Most importantly it comes from young people themselves, so it is an idea from the community. All the evidence now is that the way to make a community safer is for partners to come together and work jointly on projects.”

Norman Lloyd, National Programme Manager for Prudential 4 Youth said:

“The TXT Zone scheme was designed by year 10 students from Ernesford Grange School in Coventry as part of the Prudential 4 Youth National Programme. It demonstrates how young people given support and encouragement can make a real difference in their community.”

Editor’s Notes

• All media queries, please call Crime Concern media officer Jane Edmonds on 01793 863520 or 07795 428338. Or Prudential 4Youth National Programme Assistant Lisa Huggins on 0207 548 6544 or 07881 805 044.
• The West Orchards Shopping Centre is owned by Prudential – whose shopping centre investments include the Mander Centre in Wolvehampton and Cwmbran Shopping Centre in Cwmbran.
• Prudential 4 Youth is based on the proven Youth Action Group approach which has evolved during 12 years of development through the partnership of Crime Concern and Prudential. Already an integral part of the work of community safety partnerships, the focus has now turned to town and city centres across the country, with Prudential-owned shopping centres, to encourage and support young people to make a difference in their local community.
• Prudential 4 Youth projects have achieved highly significant outcomes to deal with issues of anti-social behaviour, street crime and youth nuisance. Achievements have contributed to a 16% reduction in the theft of mobile phones through the Wolverhampton Mander Centre project, a 21.6% reduction in insurance claims as a result of malicious damage through the Manchester Arndale project and a 70% reduction in youth nuisance through the Washington Galleries project.
• Crime Concern is an independent social enterprise. Working across England and Wales, its aim is to reduce crime and create safer communities. This is done through consultancy and through over 50 local projects. Crime Concern also helps shape the latest thinking in crime prevention and reduction and ensures this thinking is translated into action.
• PRUPIM is part of M&G, the investment arm of Prudential plc in the UK and Europe, and is one of the largest real estate investors in the UK with over £17.2 bn invested in a broad spread of properties across all UK sectors and overseas (as at 31/12/05). Its community investment strategy is aligned to Prudential plc’s approach to corporate responsibility and its commitment to supporting the local communities where it operates. PRUPIM’s community programme also recognises the significance of its role as a landlord in many towns and cities throughout the UK and its community activities focus on: community safety, economic regeneration and social inclusion, environment and employee volunteering. Community Safety and Active Citizenship is a key part of PRUPIM’s community investment strategy and as such links were made with Crime Concern.

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