A PROJECT to protect vulnerable people from rogue traders has been shortlisted for an award.

A scheme aiming to reduce crime – which involves volunteers carrying out gardening work for people in need to avoid rogue traders duping them – has been shortlisted for a Tilley Award in the ‘Neighbourhood’ category.

The Tilley Awards were set up in 1999 to recognise innovative crime fighting projects where police and local community safety agencies are successfully working together to identify and tackle local crime problems.

Later today the winners of each category will be announced, with the overall winner to be announced in September.

The Llantwit Major garden volunteering project was set up in 2019 by the Vale of Glamorgan Neighbourhood Policing Team in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Housing Community Investment and Involvement team and provides low maintenance gardening work to qualifying residents and tenants.

Although it is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, the project reduced rogue trader incidents by 80 per cent in 2019, compared with the previous year.

Volunteers were trained and recruited to carry out the work from South Wales Police Youth Volunteers, Plant Llantwit, local council tenants, schools, and partner agencies.

One of the volunteers is Perla Kirkham who was joined by her son, Joshua, who was 15 at the time.

Ms Kirkham said: “I like gardening and saw the project and thought it sounded like a nice thing to do.

“I was quite nervous, but it went great – it was very well organised, with equipment given to us and finishing times respected.

“It was lovely to see people who were so grateful; it was a lot of work but we worked as a team and you could see how pleased residents were to see the work we’d done.

“It was nice to help others and to see my son helping something so rewarding.”

Barry And District News: Llantwit Major gardening project volunteers Llantwit Major gardening project volunteers

Ms Kirkham plans to continue volunteering once the project resumes and encourages others interested to get involved.

Sheltered Scheme Coordinator for Crawshay Sheltered Housing Scheme in Llantwit Major, Sheralee Baldwin, said: “I think it’s a wonderful project; many of my residents are vulnerable and can’t garden so it helps keep the place tidy and gives them someone to talk with.

“Some residents don’t see a lot of other people, so they love the adults and children coming in and they love seeing how lovely the garden looks.”

Along with two herb gardens at Crawshay Sheltered Housing Scheme in Llantwit Major there is an allotment ready for when the project can resume.

With category winners expected to be announced today, the project has already earned praise from councillors and police officers.

Community Investment and Involvement Officer for the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Mark Ellis, said: “The project had a huge impact on improving the living environment and lives of our council tenants.”

Barry And District News: Some of the project's volunteers (2019)Some of the project's volunteers (2019)

And Divisional Commander for Cardiff and the Vale, Chief Superintendent Wendy Gunney, added: “The Llantwit Major garden volunteering project is a fantastic example of how our PCSO’s are helping to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“The project is all about preventing crime and protecting people and it is certainly achieving that goal.

“I am so proud of the team and a big thank you to the community, the volunteers and partners for playing such a positive and vital role.”