From Enfield Town to South London, discover how Love Your Doorstep’s volunteer-led Community Patrol has grown, the difference it is making and our plans for the future.
Seven years of community spirit, partnership and making a difference
Back in March 2019, Love Your Doorstep launched its very first Community Patrol in Enfield Town following concerns from local parents about the safety of children travelling to and from school.
What started as a small group of parents, grandparents and local residents coming together to make a positive difference has grown into something we are incredibly proud of.
Seven years later, our Community Patrol continues to provide a reassuring, visible presence on our streets, supporting young people, helping to reduce the fear of crime and bringing communities together.
And what makes this initiative so special? It is powered by ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their communities.
Where it all began – Enfield Town, 2019
Our first Community Patrol was established in Enfield Town in March 2019, initially working alongside Enfield Grammar School, local police and concerned parents.
The idea was simple. Rather than standing back and worrying about what was happening on our streets, we wanted to bring people together to be part of a positive solution.
Volunteers began giving up their afternoons to provide a friendly, high-visibility presence around school routes and areas where young people gathered.
They weren’t there to police the streets, confront individuals or take enforcement action. Their role was, and remains, to offer reassurance, observe, report concerns and support anyone who might need assistance.
Within just three months, the patrol had established itself as a valued part of the local community.
Seven years on, those same principles remain at the heart of everything we do.
Growing beyond Enfield – our expansion into Dulwich
As the Enfield Town Community Patrol developed, we began receiving interest from other communities facing similar concerns.
With support from local residents, schools, neighbourhood policing teams and volunteers, we successfully expanded into South London.
Today, our Community Patrol operates across areas including Dulwich Village, Herne Hill, West Dulwich and North Dulwich, with volunteers helping to provide reassurance around school routes and local neighbourhoods.
We have also established patrols in Edmonton Green, extending our work into another part of the London Borough of Enfield.
Every area is different, and that is exactly why community-led initiatives like ours are so important.
Local volunteers understand their neighbourhoods. They know the streets, the schools and the concerns affecting the families who live there.
By working alongside local policing teams and community partners, we can help strengthen communication, build relationships and ensure concerns are passed to the appropriate authorities.
Making a measurable difference
Over the years, we have seen some incredibly encouraging results.
In Enfield Town, recorded robbery figures fell by approximately 48% during a period of our Community Patrol’s operation.
In Dulwich Village, robbery figures also fell by approximately 45% during a period between April 2023 and June 2024.
While reductions in crime cannot be attributed to the Community Patrol alone, these figures are encouraging and demonstrate the importance of continuing to work together.
Community safety is never the responsibility of one organisation.
It takes effective policing, engaged schools, supportive local authorities, businesses, parents, residents and volunteers all playing their part.
Our volunteers provide an additional layer of community reassurance and a valuable connection between local people and the organisations responsible for keeping our streets safe.
Just as importantly, the feedback we receive from young people, parents and residents reminds us why this work matters.
Sometimes simply knowing that a friendly, familiar adult is nearby can make a real difference to how safe someone feels.
Strengthening our partnership with Enfield Council
One of the most positive developments in 2026 has been our growing partnership with Enfield Council and its Community Safety Team.
We are delighted to be working more closely with the council to strengthen communication, share information and explore how our Community Patrol can support wider community safety priorities across the borough.
This partnership is an important step forward.
It means that concerns raised by our volunteers can be communicated through more established channels, while opportunities for training, coordination and joint working can be explored.
We have also been discussing how the patrol could develop further, including opportunities to establish a presence in additional areas such as Southgate.
We are grateful to Enfield Council’s leadership and Community Safety Team for recognising the value of community-led initiatives and for their willingness to work collaboratively.
Good community safety depends on good partnerships.
We firmly believe that open communication, mutual respect and a shared commitment to residents are essential if we want to make a lasting difference.
Our Community Patrol remains independent, volunteer-led and non-political, with one clear purpose: helping our communities feel safer.
Working alongside the Metropolitan Police
Our relationship with the Metropolitan Police has been an important part of the Community Patrol since its earliest days.
Over the years, we have worked with local neighbourhood policing teams in both Enfield and Southwark, sharing concerns, reporting incidents and supporting communication between communities and the police.
We have also been fortunate to receive funding through the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), which helped support the development and expansion of the initiative.
Our volunteers are not police officers and have no police powers.
They do not intervene in criminal incidents or place themselves in dangerous situations.
Instead, they provide a visible, approachable presence, reporting suspicious behaviour, helping vulnerable individuals where appropriate and ensuring information reaches the right people.
It is a simple approach, but one that can make a meaningful contribution to wider community safety efforts.
The incredible people behind the patrol
At the heart of our Community Patrol are our volunteers.
Over the years, more than 200 people have registered their interest in supporting the initiative, with a dedicated network of approximately 150 volunteers helping across our patrol areas.
They come from all walks of life.
We have parents, grandparents, local residents, business owners and people who simply want to give something back to the community.
Many of our volunteers have been involved for years, continuing to turn up in all weathers to help make their neighbourhoods safer.
Our patrols generally operate during school term time, around 3.15pm to 5pm, depending on the location and volunteer availability.
Volunteers work together in teams, wear high-visibility clothing and follow clear safeguarding and safety procedures.
We provide guidance and support, including safeguarding arrangements, first aid training and communication equipment where appropriate.
There is no expectation for volunteers to put themselves at risk.
Being present, being approachable and knowing when to report a concern can make a tremendous difference.
To every person who has volunteered since 2019, whether for one afternoon or hundreds of patrols, we cannot thank you enough.
Without you, none of this would be possible.
Looking ahead – the next chapter
As we look towards the future, our ambition is to continue strengthening the Community Patrol in the areas where it already operates while exploring opportunities to support additional neighbourhoods.
We want to build on our relationships with schools, local authorities, policing teams and community organisations.
We also want to continue developing the training, resources and support available to our volunteers.
Like many community-led projects, funding remains an ongoing challenge. Insurance, training, radios, equipment and coordination all come at a cost.
However, we remain committed to demonstrating the value of the Community Patrol and working with partners who share our vision for safer, stronger communities.
Our focus has never changed.
We want young people to feel safer travelling home from school, parents to feel reassured and residents to feel proud of the communities they live in.
Could you spare an afternoon to make a difference?
We are always delighted to welcome new volunteers.
Whether you live in Enfield Town, Edmonton, Dulwich Village, Herne Hill or the surrounding areas, we would love to hear from you.
You don’t need any previous experience. Just a willingness to help, a positive attitude and a little time to give.
All volunteers must be aged 18 or over and complete our registration and safeguarding requirements before joining a patrol.
You can even come along for a taster session to see what is involved.
Register your interest or sign up for a taster session here:
https://forms.gle/iZYZfY98ZP3jwaYLA
Alternatively, email [email protected].
A final thank you
When we launched the Community Patrol back in 2019, we could never have imagined how far it would come.
From a handful of concerned parents in Enfield Town to a growing network of volunteers across North and South London, it has been a remarkable journey.
We would like to thank every volunteer, school, police officer, council representative, funder, business and community partner who has supported us along the way.
Seven years on, one thing remains absolutely clear.
When communities come together, positive change really is possible.
Here’s to continuing that work, together. 💙
Love Your Doorstep Community Patrol is a community-led initiative operated by Love Your Doorstep Community CIC.
The Enfield Town Community Patrol has now been running for 3 months and has proved to be a big success within the community. It was always our intention to open up communication channels and work with the local police, businesses, schools and the community.
We have a great bunch of volunteers who help from parents, community members and even grandparents. Its a positive project and is making a difference in regards to crime rates being down and kids feeling safer!
Again we would like to thank Mr Chris Lamb, the Head Teacher of Enfield Grammar School for his constant positivity and support, and for listening to his parents who wanted to help.
We are now looking for more volunteers to join us.
Here is an overview of the volunteer job.
Community Patrols are not new, there are many active patrols across the county.
Every Community Patrol group is different because each is owned and run by the people of its community. Members of the public and their neighbours come together to make their area a safe and pleasant place to live.
Groups decide what measures to take because they know what their community needs best. Local groups also draw on support from police, local authorities, the voluntary sector and other volunteers.
Volunteers of the community led Street patrol must be 18 years or older.
Our community-led initiative based on street patrols is carried out by members of the public with no police powers. This is a positive initiative to help keep the children safe to and from school at lunchtimes and after school.
Patrol groups are managed by a Love your doorstep coordinator who keeps a volunteer list and provides advice, guidance and support in consultation with the local police and other services.
Volunteers patrol in pairs and register each patrol on a google form. You are not to patrol alone – we work as part of a team to provide a high visibility patrol capacity, maintaining public confidence and assurance through resource presence, reducing the fear of crime for the children and community, assisting in the prevention and reduction of incidents of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour whilst promoting community safety for children at school lunch times & after school.
If volunteers spot suspicious activity they should report it to the police but not get involved for non-emergencies dial 101. If you see an incident such as a robbery call 999 , if you can without putting yourself in danger retain as much information as you can as this is valuable to the police; such things like height, clothes, age etc – where an incident has happened please be supportive to the victim, maybe contacting a family member or waiting with them until the police arrive. Please remember not to put yourself in danger at any point.
Actively seek community information and intelligence to build a picture of local activity, making accurate and timely submissions of actionable intelligence on criminal activity, anti-social behaviour and vulnerability – information can be collated and given to the police.
Practical tips
Collection of Hi Visabilty tops can be collected when you arrive for patrol
Clock in and off your patrol and upload any notes you have taken.
Wear soft comfortable shoes and clothing.
Make sure you have your phone on you.
We will get you registered to the database and arrange to add you into the WhatsApp group. [email protected]
The patrol will be expanding to other areas of the borough. If you live in Southgate, Palmers Green or Highlands please also register your interest.
March 2019: Update on Community Patrol Initiative.
The meeting held at Enfield Boys Grammar School last week was very successful with over 50 potential volunteers turning up to find out more. Following the meeting a WhatsApp group has been set up and Love Your Doorstep is looking after the administration of the scheme as the Rota and paperwork is all completed.
There is still time to get involved in the scheme. We want it to grow and become sustainable within the Enfield Community.
This is an opportunity for people to get involved in active citizenship to be extra eyes and ears for our police force as well as keep an eye out to make sure children walking home from school are ok.
We will get you registered to the database and arrange to add you into the WhatsApp group. The community patrol officially starts on Monday 11th March.
Any queries please email: [email protected]
We are pleased to be launching an initiative bought about through a meeting at Enfield Boys Grammar School hosted by Head Teacher Mr Chris Lamb. Mr Lamb has communicated out to parents his concerns about crime in our local area and what he will be doing to safe guard the children who attend The Grammar School.
During the meeting parents mentioned they would like to help and be move involved in a parent patrolling rota which will consist of volunteers who will help in the way of an adult presence in an around Enfield town during school morning lunch and home times.
Love Your Doorstep, The Enfield Town Business Retailers Association, Our Local Policing Team & Metro Bank have teamed up to help this initiative happen.
We will be pulling together a list of adults who would like to be involved in the scheme to help keep our children safe during this uncertain time. We will be hosting a meeting in the coming weeks and will email everyone who signs up to the list. You do not have to just be a parent or career, and this will not just be to help with children from Grammar school. It will be ears and eyes to help protect our young people in conjunction with our local policing team.
Any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at Crime prevention scheme
