From John Hayward-Dripps, CEO, Neighbourhood Watch Network
● Deliveroo announces a new UK-wide partnership with Neighbourhood Watch, offering a training programme to riders to help keep our communities safe
● The optional training will consist of education in community safety, including spotting signs of female harassment, drug dealing and human trafficking
● The partnership comes during Neighbourhood Watch Week 2021 - a week dedicated to strengthening the neighbourly relationships developed throughout the pandemic as data shows that two-thirds of new Neighbourhood Watch members are concerned about community safety
● This partnership will form part of Deliveroo’s new ‘Full Life’ campaign which launched last month, in which Deliveroo pledged to ‘use our network as a force for good’
[Thursday 10 June]: Deliveroo today announces a new partnership with Neighbourhood Watch to offer riders training to help keep our communities safe across the UK. The optional training, created by Neighbourhood Watch and verified by the Metropolitan Police, will cover six topics.
These are:
● Rider vehicle safety
● Spotting the signs: Street harassment and female safety
● Spotting the signs: Domestic abuse
● Handling confrontation and bystander training
● Spotting the signs: Modern slavery and Human Trafficking
● Spotting the signs: County Lines and Drug Dealing
The partnership will also:
● Provide Deliveroo riders with free safety and awareness online training via specially created video training and animations
● Raise awareness of Neighbourhood Watch with Deliveroo riders promoting the partnership on their delivery bags after they have completed the training
● Provide the opportunity for riders to become affiliate members of Neighbourhood Watch
Deliveroo riders carried out a vital role in their local communities during the pandemic and are well-placed to spot any concerns in the neighbourhoods in which they work and live.
Research shows that two-thirds of Neighbourhood Watch new members are concerned about community safety, while research from ‘Together’ a coalition of neighbourhood organisations found that one in three UK adults are a victim of neighbourhood crime and 73% of those surveyed would like society to be closer post-pandemic.
The idea of a partnership between Deliveroo and Neighbourhood Watch was developed when, earlier this year, a rider called Darren became a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator and wanted to share his positive experience. It is also based on conversations with riders, including a recent roundtable event organised by Deliveroo with female riders.
This partnership is being launched during the annual Neighbourhood Watch Week, which this year focuses on strengthening the neighbourly relationships built before and throughout the pandemic. The week provides an opportunity for people to build community resilience and stay connected with each other as we tentatively move out of lockdown. To mark Neighbourhood Watch Week, Deliveroo will also donate free meals to Neighbourhood Watch volunteer Area Leads to show our appreciation for their hard work over the past challenging year.
The partnership builds on Deliveroo’s wider efforts to support riders and the communities in which they operate, including:
● A new partnership with road safety app Busby to help keep riders safe and roundtable sessions with female riders from across the UK to discuss their experiences and ideas about how they and companies like Deliveroo could further protect their safety within the communities in which they live and work.
● Deliveroo’s successful partnership with the NSPCC last year, where Deliveroo riders were trained to spot and report the signs of child abuse. The programme saw a huge amount of interest, with over 7,000 riders completing the training. Riders across the country promoted the NSPCC Helpline number on their delivery bags, encouraging members of the public concerned about the welfare of a child to seek professional advice and support.
● Deliveroo’s new Full Life Campaign covers all of the company’s community initiatives and aims to use its unique network of riders, restaurants and customers as a force for good in the local communities in which it operates across the UK
Will Shu, the CEO and Founder of Deliveroo, said: "At Deliveroo, we want to support the communities in which we operate and use our platform for good. We don’t just want to be seen in our communities; we want to be part of them and play a role in keeping them safe. That is why we have partnered with Neighbourhood Watch to help riders keep people safe, with a particular focus on female safety. Riders have carried out a vital role during the pandemic and are well-placed to build on this experience to spot any concerns in the neighbourhoods in which they work and live.”
John Hayward-Cripps, the CEO of Neighbourhood Watch, said: “We are delighted to partner with Deliveroo. Both Neighbourhood Watch volunteers and Deliveroo riders have played vital roles during the pandemic, and we look forward to working together to help keep communities safe.”
Alexandra Holmes, a Deliveroo rider said: “I am really pleased that Deliveroo is offering this free training for riders and hosting roundtables to discuss female safety. As a female Deliveroo rider, it is really important to me that I can share my experiences with Deliveroo and personally get involved with Neighbourhood Watch in my local community.”
About Deliveroo
Deliveroo is an award-winning delivery service founded in 2013 by William Shu and Greg Orlowski. Deliveroo works with over 140,000 best-loved restaurants and takeaways, as well as 110,000 riders to provide the best food delivery experience in the world. Deliveroo is headquartered in London, with over 2,000 employees in offices around the globe.
Deliveroo operates in almost 800 towns and cities across 12 markets, including Australia, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the United Kingdom.
About Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch is the largest voluntary movement focused on crime prevention in England and Wales. Over 2.3 million people belong to local schemes which are supported by voluntary Associations.
Neighbourhood Watch Network is an independent charity (registered in England and Wales 1173349) that acts as the national umbrella organisation for the movement. Membership of Neighbourhood Watch schemes is open to all and is free. Neighbourhood Watch’s website address is www.ourwatch.org.uk.
