Like many towns and cities across the UK, small seaside resort Bognor Regis in West Sussex has seen a recent increase in crime, particularly car theft, bike theft and antisocial behaviour. This puts local police forces under increasing pressure and communities look at additional ways to seek support alongside police help.
In the heart of the community is Bognor Regis’ Men’s Shed. It’s a community project open to men, women, veterans and young people in the area. It is a safe shared space that is adored locally and provides facilities for people to do some hands-on DIY and woodwork using their donated tools.
Disaster struck last weekend when intruders ransacked the Men’s Shed, stealing several items including a TV, tools, cash and more. You can only imagine the impact this had on the owners and the community.
Our local Lockforce locksmith in Bognor Regis, Lee Dray, was tagged in a Facebook SOS post calling for help from the community, such as local locksmiths, plumbers etc. Lee offered his services; within an hour he was on the phone giving advice to make the place more secure and the next day Lee gave up his time to attend the Men’s Shed.
Lee walked the perimeter of the building doing a security audit and spent 4 hours installing new complimentary locks from Lockforce Bognor Regis. Lee also made arrangements for a colleague to assist with installing new alarms for free.
Lee wasn’t the only local locksmith on hand, Geoff from GRN Locksmiths also gave up his time to assist (pictured, photo credit: Bognor Regis Men's Shed Facebook).
It’s always a bittersweet sight to see the community come together in such adversity. The Men’s Shed have already smashed their fundraising target on JustGiving. The Shed was also heaving with locals, councillors and well-wishers all wanting to help.
Lee said afterwards:
“It felt great to give back to my local community. Thankfully I had some spare time, I had the locks already in my van. It’s a wonderful community project so close to my home, I just had to help out. It was great to meet the locals, educating people as we were installing the locks and letting them help. It was an honour to be a part of this chapter in the story of the Men’s Shed”.
For further information, please see the Men’s Shed on Facebook.
