The Independent London Newspaper
RIOTS: Do community marshals hold the key to curbing rioting? - Finsbury Park scheme could become blueprint
Published: 12 August 2011
by PETER GRUNER
A UNIQUE community marshalling scheme at Finsbury Park could become a blueprint for trouble-spots in the capital which are vulnerable to riots, it emerged this week.
At the same time the man behind the scheme, businessman Courtney Bailey, hit out at the government and the banks for helping to sow “the seeds of unrest” through lack of investment in the community.
Finsbury Park managed to avoid skirmishes in this week’s riots, according to Mr Bailey, in part because of good communications between its marshals and the police. Twenty marshals patrol the area around Finsbury Park station on a shift basis, wearing high-visibility jackets.
The initiative, which has been operating for a year, is jointly organised by Finsbury Park Business Forum and employment agency A4e.
“People feel safe having the marshals around, so that must be a good thing,” said Mr Bailey. “Their presence has deterred people from looting in the area.
“When the marshals see groups of people gathering they phone information to the police, who can keep an eye on the situation and stop it getting out of hand.
“We’ve had officials from all over London, including Westminster, studying our scheme.”
Jamaican-born Mr Bailey, 51, chairman of the Forum and a local church warden, employs 25 staff at his energy company. He said: “Many of the kids who rioted desperately need motivation. They don’t feel the need to study at college, assuming they can afford to go, because there are no jobs at the end of the line.”
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Warden in Finsbury Park
Give them the money!
I would like the government to give the "Business and Community Warden" scheme some form of funding, because this is such a good idea.
Everyone is a winner with this programme!
Go to their website and support this programme.
www.finsburyparkbusinessforum.com.
Regards
Simon
Wardens in London
Sound good to me.
I would like to know when will the programme be rolled out to other areas of London.
Good for the unemployed if they want to do it.
Good for the community if they like it.
Good for everyone.
Janet wilson
Warden in Finsbury Park
I would like to add my comment regarding the warden programme in Finsbury Park. I think it is by far one of the best programme I have come across. Since the wardens been at Finsbury Park Station I have felt a lot safer. My hope is that this programme can be exported to other area of London. Let us all back this scheme!
There will be those who are unhappy because they did not think of it first and will make negative comment.
I will be donating £100 to the Finsbury Park Business Forum to help them with this programme, not a lot I know but every little help.
I am hoping that someone with a large pocket donate money to this wonderful programme.
I also hope that government help out with some funding!
I am sure that if they send letters to some of the large companies asking for sponsorship they may get it.
Let us all support them with this warden programme.
Amanda Jackson
Business and community Warden
I am very pleased with the Wardens that are located around Finsbury Park Station. I feel much safer knowing that there are people at the station that are able to keep an eye or two on everyone.
I have lived near Finsbury Park Station for 25 years and I have seen many things with both children and adults and I can tell you many of them was not very nice.
I very much hope that this scheme is going to be rolled out to Angel, Highbury and many other station across London. Well done Finsbury Park Business Forum. Let us all back this scheme and hope that it expand.
I have spoken to many of the wardens on my travel via the station and they seems to enjoy being on the programme. What a wonderful idea!
Let us hope that the Government put some money into this programme.
Sarah
Marshals/ Wardens in Finsbury Park
I would like to point out that I was one of the Warden in Finsbury Park and yes I had come via A4e. The scheme use to be called the "Business and community Marshal". Its new name is now "Business and Community Warden". I am proud to have been one of the Warden at Finsbury park and it is my intention to be a warden again via Jobcentre Plus. I have enjoyed being on the Warden Programme.
Ask any of the Wardens that are on the scheme like Ian, martin, Stephen, Omar and Richard if they love doing the Warden Programme and they will all tell you, they love it.
I do not like other people telling us unemployed what is good for us.
Yes the Wardens scheme is not for everyone and on joining the scheme, we are told that we do not have to do it if we do not want to.
I wanted to try it and I am glad I did.
Many of the Wardens who are no longer on the scheme have obtained paid jobs.
Regards
Fredy
Business and Community Wardens
You are completely misinformed and I don’t know where you got your information from. The scheme is not called the’ Marshal’, rather the ‘Business and Community Wardens. The name was changed from ‘Marshals’ to the Business and Community Wardens. As a former Warden, I was not forced by A4E or the Job Centre Plus to volunteer to help the community. And for your information, some of the Wardens I’ve worked with came from Reed, Ingeus or directly from the Job Centre Plus not exclusively as you mentioned from A4E. It was completely my choice to volunteer and I could have left the programme anytime I wished with no consequence. A small proportion of people left or didn’t take to the programme and there was no consequence to them for leaving. I have never heard of anyone been sanctioned for leaving the programme, it is completely voluntary and on a non-mandatory basis. Rather than criticize the Scheme or the organizations who are trying to help the long term unemployed as I was at the time to gain skills, experience, opportunity to contribute to the community, you should volunteer your service to the community. My volunteering to help my community has nothing to do with 800 Transport for London customer care staff losing their jobs and you must never make such un-qualified statements that are factually incorrect. Write to the government about your concerns rather than demonize organizations who are trying to help the unemployed. I am defending The finsbury Park Business Forum because I know the level of support they gave during my time with them. Whilst I was on the Warden programme, The Business Forum helped me get an NVQ certification for customer service; I received police training and support on personal issues that I wasn’t able to address with A4E or the Job Centre Plus who didn’t have any time to help me. But the Business Forum was there throughout and because of their assistance; I managed to set up my own business, a bagel shop. The Business Forum helped me with my biz plans and acquiring finance. The Business Forum still keeps in touch with me to ensure my continuing progress. I might sound very passionate about the Business Forum, that’s because they gave me a tremendous amount of support that I couldn’t have got anywhere else. Prior to volunteering my services to the Business Forum, I was unemployed for 5 years and it took me being at the Business Forum for 4 months to get my own successful business. Just in 4 months, I worked away with The Business Forum reference, Police Reference, NVQ certification, learned new skills and experience and started my own business. Not bad for a 4 months effort.
A4e and Forum Scheming to replace paid staff?
This scheme is advertised as Voluntary Work when it is not, those who undertake the role do so on a No Choice Mandatory Basis, once they start as a Marshal if they do not complete 4 weeks full time they will have their benefits stopped for up to 26 weeks.
This is a very odd scheme, as it mirrors the one that Courts arrange for offenders to undertake as a Punishment via the Community Payback scheme.
A4e work with the unemployed and it is they that are providing people to do the Marshal role, but no one is Paid a salary to do and the day to day Supervisors are also unemployed people.
Maybe if 800 Transport for London customer care staff had not recently been redundant this A4e Forum scheming would not be needed.
Business and Community Wardens
You are completely misinformed and I don’t know where you got your information from. The scheme is not called the’ Marshal’, rather the ‘Business and Community Wardens. The name was changed from ‘Marshals’ to the Business and Community Wardens. As a former Warden, I was not forced by A4E or the Job Centre Plus to volunteer to help the community. And for your information, some of the Wardens I’ve worked with came from Reed, Ingeus or directly from the Job Centre Plus not exclusively as you mentioned from A4E. It was completely my choice to volunteer and I could have left the programme anytime I wished with no consequence. A small proportion of people left or didn’t take to the programme and there was no consequence to them for leaving. I have never heard of anyone been sanctioned for leaving the programme, it is completely voluntary and on a non-mandatory basis. Rather than criticize the Scheme or the organizations who are trying to help the long term unemployed as I was at the time to gain skills, experience, opportunity to contribute to the community, you should volunteer your service to the community. My volunteering to help my community has nothing to do with 800 Transport for London customer care staff losing their jobs and you must never make such un-qualified statements that are factually incorrect. Write to the government about your concerns rather than demonize organizations who are trying to help the unemployed. I am defending The finsbury Park Business Forum because I know the level of support they gave during my time with them. Whilst I was on the Warden programme, The Business Forum helped me get an NVQ certification for customer service; I received police training and support on personal issues that I wasn’t able to address with A4E or the Job Centre Plus who didn’t have any time to help me. But the Business Forum was there throughout and because of their assistance; I managed to set up my own business, a bagel shop. The Business Forum helped me with my biz plans and acquiring finance. The Business Forum still keeps in touch with me to ensure my continuing progress. I might sound very passionate about the Business Forum, that’s because they gave me a tremendous amount of support that I couldn’t have got anywhere else. Prior to volunteering my services to the Business Forum, I was unemployed for 5 years and it took me being at the Business Forum for 4 months to get my own successful business. Just in 4 months, I worked away with The Business Forum reference, Police Reference, NVQ certification, learned new skills and experience and started my own business. Not bad for a 4 months effort.
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