Building Safer, more Confident Communities Together

Building Safer, More Confident Communities Together

Community Safety Matters was a borough-wide campaign led by Communities First Foundation in partnership with Croydon’s Safer Neighbourhood Board and community partners. Delivered between October 2025 and March 2026, the campaign brought residents together to help make local streets safer, stronger, and more connected.

About the Campaign

The Safe Spaces, Strong Voices initiative was designed to empower residents—particularly young people—to feel more confident in public spaces, challenge antisocial behaviour, and strengthen community confidence. The campaign formed part of Croydon’s wider efforts to reduce violence, harassment, and exploitation, while building stronger relationships within and across communities.

Through mobile community safety pop-ups, face-to-face engagement, and the training of local Safe Streets Ambassadors, the campaign:

• Increased awareness of crime-reporting routes and victim-support services

• Strengthened local trust and visibility

• Distributed over 1,000 Community Safety Toolkits and leaflets

• Supported residents to take positive action within their neighbourhoods

Campaign Summary

At Zodiac Court in West Croydon, Community Safety Toolkits and information leaflets were distributed directly to residents, enabling meaningful face-to-face engagement with the local community.

During these conversations, several residents highlighted a high level of crime in the area. This feedback reinforced the importance of visible, neighbourhood-based community safety activity, alongside accessible and practical safety information.

A pop-up engagement session outside Norbury Station provided further insight into hyper-local issues. The project team observed that several nearby streets were poorly lit—an environmental factor contributing to feelings of insecurity. In addition, a resident raised concerns about multiple break-ins in the Pollards Hill area. In response, the resident established a community-led information and support group, demonstrating strong local resilience and proactive, peer-led action.

At Thornton Heath, engagement with residents and local businesses presented a more positive picture. A local business owner reported low levels of crime in the immediate area, offering a valuable contrast and highlighting the variation in safety experiences across different parts of the borough.

At East Croydon Station, the team also engaged directly with local businesses in and around the station. There was a strong willingness from shop owners to support the initiative, with many agreeing to accept and display community safety leaflets to help raise awareness among their customers. This reflected a positive sense of community spirit, with local businesses playing an active role in promoting safety and supporting wider neighbourhood efforts.

Overall, more than 1,000 leaflets were distributed across campaign locations, reaching a broad and diverse audience spanning multiple age groups. The campaign delivered positive and measurable outcomes. Through ongoing conversations, many residents shared personal safety concerns and expressed appreciation for the practical advice, reassurance, and signposting provided.

Additional Community Engagement – Selhurst

Alongside the wider Croydon pop-up activity, we leveraged our role in managing a sports facility in Selhurst to further extend the reach of the campaign.

During February and March 2026, community safety leaflets were distributed directly to members and partner organisations using the facility. In total, over 100 leaflets were shared through this targeted engagement.

This approach enabled us to:

• Reach an already engaged and trusted community audience

• Strengthen relationships with local partners and stakeholders

• Reinforce key safety messages within a familiar and accessible environment

• Complement the wider borough-based pop-up activity with consistent, ongoing engagement

Safer Neighbourhood Community Pop-Up Events – Croydon

A series of Safer Neighbourhood Community Pop-Up Events were delivered across Croydon between 6:00pm and 8:00pm at the following locations:

• Zodiac Court – Friday 10th October 2025

• Norbury Station – Thursday 11th December 2025

• Thornton Heath Station – Friday 16th January 2026

• East Croydon Station – Friday 13th March 2026

These events provided opportunities to:

• Speak directly with local teams

• Receive community safety advice and resources

• Share concerns and insights about local areas

• Contribute to safer, more connected neighbourhoods

Key Outcomes

• Increased resident engagement and trust through direct, face-to-face community safety conversations

• Improved understanding of hyper-local crime and safety concerns, informed directly by residents

• Identification of environmental factors, such as poor lighting, contributing to perceptions of feeling unsafe

• Evidence of strong community resilience, including residents taking proactive steps to support one another through peer-led initiatives