I don’t know my neighbours but want to start a Watch group
It is quite common in a large city that people do not know their neighbours. Different working patterns, large communities, often support anonymity amongst neighbours. A good way to start, is
- Go to Ourwatch and check if a watch group exists in your neighbourhood. If there is a watch group apply to join it.
- If no watch group is in your immediate area
to register yourself on Ourwatch, start a watch group as main coordinator in the area or block you reside and start inviting neighbours. You can put leaflets through neighbour’s doors and ask them to contact you or get back to collect the completed forms. Once you have neighbours e-mail addresses you may invite them to join your existing watch group and increase your friends. You may also accept members without email address and keep them on a manual register, though we’d advise all your members to subscribe to OWL, which requires email.
We require that you contact us after your initial Ourwatch registration and also your local SNT Team to talk about your group.
I don’t know whether neighbours will react friendly to getting invites for Neighbourhood Watch, what shall I do?
You can register yourself on Ourwatch and mark your watch area, around where you live. Others will see your watch but don’t know it’s you. If others apply to join you, forward their details to your local SNT for determination. Otherwise only ask others directly to join you if you trust them.
I have applied to join a watch group but don’t get a reply.
Contact the THNWA. We’ll contact the coordinator in question and will be in touch. It happens that people move and forget to change their details online. In that case, we will see if we can find another coordinator or invite you to become coordinator yourself or to start your own watch group nearby.
How can I get verified from self-declared to verified by local volunteer?
Once you have registered yourself on Ourwatch and created a scheme or joined a watch scheme, contact us to get verified.
I am moving address out of Tower Hamlets.
No problem, if you change your address through the Ourwatch registration, your member details will be transferred to your new area automatically. You may have to apply to join a watch group or start your own group in your new area.
We already have a Residents Association, do we really need a watch group?
Any residents assocition will benefit from dual activities. The Ourwatch membership system is ideal for all kinds of local organisations. All members of a TRA can also register on Ourwatch or a select committee.
How can I change the status of members on the Ourwatch system?
Each group can have more than one co-ordinator. A group can have a lead coordinator, deputy, members. If you want to change the role of members, you can do so in the members area of the co-ordinator or contact us.
OWL – Ourwatch what’s the difference and do I need to be registered on both?
Yes, you need to be registered on both. OWL is the Met Police’s mailing list in some boroughs. But the best coordinator tools are on Ourwatch. Please also read an article about the issue.
Tower Hamlets Neighbourhood Watch Association 