Introduction to the Network

Mark started his career as an account manager in marketing and recruitment before joining Cabletel, and subsequently NTL, where he spent ten years in the cable and telecoms industry.

Mark joined South Wales Police in 2006 moving into project and programme management, joining the South Wales Police Authority in 2010 as performance manager, developing the authority’s approach to scrutiny and performance management. Mark became part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s team in 2012, responsible for strategic planning and performance, including the development of the Police and Crime Reduction Plan, and was appointed Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner in 2016. Mark currently chairs the Bridgend and Cwm Taf (Merthyr/Rhondda Cynon Taf) Public Services Boards and is vice chair of the Vale of Glamorgan Public Service Board. Mark is also co-chair of the South Wales Criminal Justice Board, vice chair of the Cardiff and Vale Area Planning Board and sits as a director on FOR Cardiff, Cardiff’s Business Improvement Development Board.

Helen has worked for the Network for over two years and brought with her thirteen years of experience working for Policing in Wales. Helen understands the importance of partnership working, has a degree in Sociology and Criminology from Cardiff University and has been involved with numerous community volunteer programmes recognising her commitment and passion for proactive engagement in keeping Wales a safer place.

Sarah has recently joined the network. She has experience working in public and private sector and moved into communications four years ago after leaving a career in hospitality. She managed high-volume branded restaurants in the UK and internationally, including four years as general manager for the franchised Jamie Oliver restaurants in Bangkok. She was an active board member for the British Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, and on her return to the UK joined the Chamber of Commerce in South Wales leading their communications and events programme.  Sarah joins the network from the Food Standards Agency where she worked as a communications manager. She brings her experience in communications and event management to this role as she expands her knowledge of community safety.

This is the first annual report for the Wales Safer Communities Network. It is a short report which covers from November 2020 until 31 March 2021 (the Safer Communities Network Team started to operate in January 2021). Future annual reports will provide further information, including an overview of the year from the joint Chairs of the Wales Safer Communities Board, which provides leadership to the work of the Network.

To read the report click here

As part of the Network’s ongoing evaluation of our offer to partners and stakeholders, we have undertaken an evaluation of our Seminar Series and fortnightly newsletter “BRIFF”.

Since its inception in January 2021, the Network has run two seminar series – the summer series ran between June to July 2021, and the winter series from February to March 2022. Each series consisted of three virtual seminars each.

Between 7 December 2021 and 28 January 2022, the Network conducted a satisfaction survey of the fortnightly newsletter, BRIFF. At the time the survey closed, there had been 47 issues published via email.

The core audience of both the seminar series and BRIFF is professionals and practitioners working in community safety in Wales, which includes both devolved and non-devolved agencies, public, private and third sector colleagues.

To read the reports click here