Dallow cares

Ebonista Project is a helpline service that assists women and children who have experienced domestic abuse and trauma. They offer group programmes such as the ‘Freedom for Men’, a workshop for men who want help in changing their behaviours to become better partners and fathers, ‘Freedom for Women’ which examines the attitudes, beliefs, and actions of abusive men and ‘Own My Life’ to empower women who have been subjected to male violence.

Trauma Healing Collective Wellbeing and Safety Programme is an organisation that aims at reducing the effect of trauma on the individual, family, and community, fostering healing and knowledge. They have been running a 10-week programme every Thursday at Bury Park Community Centre in Luton. The programme offers an opportunity to understand and gain knowledge about mental health, domestic abuse, trauma, technology, navigating teen years and more.

Dallow Cares/Op Heatwave

A two-week police operation in Dallow took place in July 2022 which resulted in positive outcomes for improving the lives of Dallow residents. During the two weeks, the police made 11 arrests, 49 stop searches of individuals with three vehicle stop searches resulting in 21 positive finds (for illegal substances?).

The team also helped to remove drugs off the streets, with seizures with of approximately 1100 total deals of Class A Heroin and approximately 62 total street deals of Class B. four cash seizures were also made, where money is taken from individuals who are unable to provide evidence or proof of its source.

Over the two weeks, the team seized 22 mobile phones, the majority of which were phones used to deal drugs. As well as three weapons being taken away – a samurai sword, a machete and a lock knife. A total of 33 intelligence reports were also submitted, which helps to increase the police’s understanding of crime in the area.

Crime priority setting meeting

A priority setting meeting was held with the Dallow Community on the 13 February 2023, attended by the police, the public and our partners from the Council and Youth Partnership Services. The event offered an opportunity for the community and our partners to discuss priority issues and concerns in Dallow. As a result, the community have identified and confirmed three main areas: Drugs, ASB around car cruises and Fly tipping for the police and the council to prioritise moving forward.

The Youth Partnership Service (YPS) have been working on the TREE project, (Tackling; Reducing; and Ending Exploitation) which is a multi-agency approach to safeguarding young people. Representatives from partner agencies of the TREE will speak to young people in areas they frequent; discussing issues that matter to them, offer on - the – spot advice and provide young people access to a safe space if they need immediate support.

Mary Seacole Housing Association is a Luton based supported housing association engaging with young people and the wider community to provide intervention and signposting to appropriate services. They have produced a Tap Out app, which has been designed to raise awareness of the different forms of exploitation. The app is a great learning tool for young people to learn about the vulnerable situations that they may encounter, and to find out what are the best courses of action. Young people are also able to access a chat room should they need to talk to a specialist worker about any concerns.

Link to Change are experts in providing help to young people who have been the victims of child exploitation, using direct experiences to advocate for change. A dedicated specialist worker sits in the YPS team to offer help, support and guidance for young people in Luton.

The One Stop Advice Centre provide commissioned services for YPS giving in- depth support and advice for young people and their families in the areas of welfare benefits, debt management, and housing. In 2022, OSAC and YPS partnered to give young people in the Dallow area the opportunity to develop and enhance their CV writing skills.

Caudwell Youth offer person- centred mentoring for young people from age 11 to 18.

Ultimate Athlete is a local multi- disciplinary gym who offer discounted classes to young people in boxing; kick- boxing; and MMA.

Boxing Saves Lives is a specialist service who use the power of boxing as a vehicle to help to develop discipline and resilience in young people. All of the coaches are trained to help mentor and counsel young people who may be vulnerable to becoming involved in gangs and exploitation, and to help them overcome any issues that could negatively impact their lives.

CYCD (Centre for Youth and Community Development) facilitate a number of different schemes for young people, including the CYCD Youth Club and Study Support Club; BASESS homework club; Rising Stars Holiday Club; and Crescent Summer School, which provides a range of activities for young boys and girls throughout the summer holidays period.

ESOL College have been funded to provide English as a secondary language class to newly arrived members of the local community. 

Luton Town Football Club Community Trust, who provide free football sessions to young people throughout Luton, Bedford, and Central Bedfordshire through their popular Kicks programme.

Targeted Youth Workers have delivered awareness sessions to young people at Masjid As- Sunnah on Kingsway, discussing with young people the dangers of carrying knives and getting involved with gangs.

Unified Support Programme offers confidence and motivation workshops which provides early intervention and support for young people, enabling individuals to recognise key skills and develop confidence and motivation. Early intervention can help children and young people to develop skills, increase educational attainment, support good mental health, increase pro-social behaviour and improve their self-esteem.

The Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU) aims to tackle violence and the exploitation of children and other vulnerable people in Bedfordshire by providing opportunities to learn about the meaning and dangers of gang, anti-knife crime, diversion and healthy relationships. VERU has funded a 10-week DJ programme by the Skill Lab which will provide opportunities for young people to learn new skills, provide positive alternative pathways and increase aspirations and self-confidence amongst the youth.

Our Dallow Cares team hosted an informative coffee morning for parents of Downside Primary school on the 9 of February and parents of Downside Primary School on the 7 of March 2023.

The mornings involved showcasing the local services available in Luton such as the Youth Partnership Service, who gave an overview of gang and knife crime, One Stop Advice Centre, answered housing, debt and benefits questions, Bedfordshire Police, highlighted the importance of privacy and parental control settings online, Boxing Saves Lives, showed how boxing can be a way to prevent crimes and improve mental health of young people. and Women's Aid Luton, spoke about healthy relationships and the signs of domestic abuse.

The parents of Downside Primary School gave positive feedbacks: 25 parents chose five out of five on how likely it is they would recommend the coffee morning to their friends and four parents chose four out of five.

To work with the community to make Dallow green spaces a safer and positive area to meet with friends, engage in physical activity and have fun in the local parks, Luton Borough Council been working with individuals and feedback provided to improve local parks, responding to the local needs of the community.

This has included: Improving and upgrading the lighting, CCTV and outdoor fitness equipment at Brantwood Park, created a new children’s play area at Dunraven Avenue and adding an outdoor classroom area in Dallow Downs from Runley Road local open space, improving the entrance and walking route to create a safer environment for young people

Additionally, we have recently introduced lighting as the start of our work to improve Kingsway Recreation Ground which will be followed by introduction of CCTV, improvements to the footpath network and the main entrance to the park. 

Mary Seacole billboard campaign showcases the partners of Dallow Cares and highlights facts, information of Luton heritage and the many reasons to celebrate Dallow as a community such as the history of  the diamond factory, Rothesay conservation and Brantwood park.