Securing Homes in Cambridgeshire Since 2001

The Work We Do

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About The Bobby Scheme

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History

The Cambridgeshire Police Shrievalty Trust is a registered charity formed in 1999 to improve community safety in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The Cambridgeshire Police Shrievalty Trust is a registered charity formed in 1999 to improve community safety in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

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The Cambridgeshire Police Shrievalty Trust is a registered charity which was formed in 1999 to improve community safety in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The name of the Trust reflects the fact that two organisations were primarily responsible for its creation – Cambridgeshire Constabulary and The Office of High Sheriff. The Bobby Scheme was established in 2001 by the Cambridgeshire Police Shrievalty Trust and so far, has helped secure over 34,000 homes.

The Bobby Scheme’s aim is to reduce crime and the fear of crime, of older, vulnerable, and disabled people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, thereby improving their quality of life, personal safety, and increasing independence.

Could You Help Support Us?

Our vital service relies on public donations to help keep us operating and supporting vulnerable people in their homes. We are grateful for any contributions made, thank you.

DONATE HERE

OURAIMS

Tap or mouse over any image to see our aims

Services

What We Provide For Residents

The Cambridgeshire Bobby Scheme, now in its twenty second year, has helped more than 35,000 older, vulnerable, and disabled people who were either the victims of burglary, domestic abuse, or another crime, or who are were concerned about home or personal security.

All crimes in Cambridgeshire involving people aged over 60 are referred to the Bobby Scheme by Cambridgeshire Constabulary. The Bobby Scheme’s experienced crime prevention staff can assist and reassure in whatever situation has occurred.

Our staff deal with a diverse range of situations, providing peace of mind to victims affected by burglary, robbery, theft, or those who may have fallen prey to scammers or rogue traders. Other situations may include assisting with anti-social behaviour or cuckooing.

Installing various home protection devices such as door chains and/or spyholes to empower the elderly against unwelcome callers. Or undertaking lock changes, securing gates and outbuildings such as garden sheds to protect against theft of property. These are just a sample of the many devices installed.

There is no charge for the service or devices provided by the Trust to these victims.

The security devices used are diverse and are Secure by Design SBD’s product-based accreditation scheme – the Police Preferred Specification - provides a recognised standard.

The service, including devices*, is also available to non-victims and are charged at £65 (*does not include RING products).

Ring Video Doorbells and Ring Always Home Installations POA (products supplied and installed at a subsidised cost).

Supply and installation of key safes (SBD police accredited) to give family, carers, or emergency services quicker access to homes of disabled people are available and charged at £75.

Overgrown gardens and fence repairs to assist in crime prevention POA

Security

Securing Homes, Easing Minds

Doors & Window Security

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Doors & Window Security

Installing effective locks and ensuring home entry points are secure

Police Accredited Keysafe Boxes

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Police Accredited Keysafe Boxes

A secure solution to keeping your home locked and yourself safe

Intruder & Scam Safety Advice

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Intruder & Scam Safety Advice

We provide free advice on how to keep intruders and scams at bay.

How We Operate

Our Approach

Making a Difference

Guidance & Signposting

Independence & Post-Trauma Support

Our support enables many older people to live independently for longer than they otherwise might. The scheme can reduce the rate at which elderly or vulnerable victims of crime believe they are unsafe in their own homes rather than transferring to an alternative abode or refuge care.

The detrimental effects of moving home after such trauma are immense on any victim of any age with many out-of-control ripple effects. For these reasons, together with the wider crime reduction benefits, the scheme is widely acknowledged to be an effective and beneficial programme for victims to cope and recover from their trauma.

The after-effects of our support

Following our visit victims feel empowered and confident to continue with day-to-day chores and return to being socially active within their community. Our visits contribute to the victims gaining confidence with the peace of mind to leave their homes in the knowledge that they are secure, thus allowing them to remain independent.

The Scheme operates throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, maintaining an urgent response for victims which has significantly reduced the repeat victimisation rate of the people it has visited. Our repeat victimisation rate is less than 1%.

Our Team

Our Team Members

Perri Selwood

Trust Manager

Perri has been with the Scheme for 6 years. Perri’s background is mainly commercial, specialising in management and business development. Perri also has teaching and assessor qualifications and has worked within the educational system and the local authority.

Jo Robinson

Co-Ordinator

Jo has been with the Scheme for over 4 years. Her background is in customer services and administration in libraries and heritage; she has also worked for children’s services in a local authority and for a company of chartered surveyors.

Jon Morris

Security Advisor/Installer

Jon is a retired Police Officer, has been in post as a security advisor for the Bobby Scheme since last year. Prior to this, Jon worked for Cambridgeshire Constabulary, retiring after 26 years of service. Before this, Jon served in the RAF as an aircraft technician.

Colin McKeever

Security Advisor/Installer

Colin is a retired police officer with extensive experience in burglary and vehicle crime. Prior to joining Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Colin was a member of the armed forces, serving in the Royal Engineers. More recently, Colin has been self-employed in property maintenance, until joining the Bobby Scheme earlier this year (2024).

Both Jo and Perri are part-time. There is an answerphone if they are not in the office so please do leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

All staff are CRB checked and vetted by Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

As an accredited Living Wage Employer, we go above and beyond the government minimum.

We take a stand to ensure all your employees can earn a wage which is enough to live on.

Patron & Trustees

Our Patron, Trustees and Past Trustees

Patrons

Patron - Julie Spence OBE CStJ QPM

Mrs Julie Spence OBE CStJ QPM

Patron

Julie Spence is His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, appointed in April 2017.

After graduating as a teacher from Liverpool University and I M Marsh College of Physical Education. In 1978, Julie joined Avon and Somerset Police and was seconded to the Association of Chief Police Officers secretariat in London for two years.

In 1999, Julie was appointed to Assistant Chief Constable for Thames Valley Police. In 2005 Julie was appointed to Chief Constable for Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

In the Queen’s 80th Birthday Honours, Julie was awarded an OBE for her management of complex and contentious organisational issues, leadership of Thames Valley’s contribution to the operations to protect Heathrow and the Queen Mother’s funeral, her work for the ACPO Terrorism and Allied Matters Committee on Royalty and VIP Protection and her strong leadership and determination in taking forward the Gender Agenda and the development of the British Association of Women in Policing (BAWP), which have both become major drivers for gender equality in British policing. She was President of BAWP for 10 years (2000-2010).

In 2008 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Anglia Ruskin University: then in the 2010 New Year’s Honours list she received the Queens Police Medal (QPM) followed in 2021 when she received the Commander of the Order of St John (CStJ) for her services to St John’s Ambulance and the Order of St John.

In September 2010, after a 32 year career, she retired from policing.

In June 2023 Julie retired as Chair of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS (Community and Mental Health) Foundation Trust.

Julie has been a Governor of Anglia Ruskin University (2021), is Chair of Wellbeing of Women (Cambridge Branch) and a Patron of Ormiston Families, supporting families in East Anglia, alongside being Patron of several other worthy Cambridgeshire organisations.

Julie will hold the Lord-Lieutenant title until 2030.

Chairman – Judy Pearson DL

Judy Pearson DL

Chairman

Judy has lived in Cambridgeshire for a very large part of her life, after her father left the Army to settle in Caxton to take over the family farm, which they then took on when he retired.
She is married to Nigel who, never one to only do one job, was ordained 13 years ago, so she is also, therefore, a vicar’s wife. They have three adult children, two of whom live locally, and a number of grandchildren.
Judy was a trustee of The Papworth Trust for over 20 years with a particular interest in the clients’ welfare, and she chairs the Cambridgeshire Police Shrievalty Trust under whose auspices The Bobby Scheme is run. She also spends a lot of her time working as a Bereavement Support Volunteer and supervisor of Cambridge Cruse Bereavement Care. Judy is a Churchwarden for St Andrew’s Church, Caxton.
Judy was the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire for 2008/09, and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire in 2011.

Trustees

Benjamyn Damazer DL FIMC

Trustee

Born in London as a “first generation Brit”, Benjamyn Damazer has lived in a number of places around the world before coming to Crowland in the early 1980s.

Benjamyn is a qualified management consultant and arbitrator who has worked throughout the public sector trying to improve the quality of public administration. He has been a magistrate for over 30 years and was formerly Chairman of the Peterborough and combined Cambridgeshire benches.

Prior to the election of Police and Crime Commissioners, Benjamyn was Vice-Chair of the Cambridgeshire Police Authority, and is currently Vice-Chair of the Cambridgeshire Police Shrievalty Trust and the local Fight Against Blindness charity. He is a Trustee of the British Police Symphony Orchestra.

Benjamyn was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire in 2014 and served as Vice Lord-Lieutenant between 2020 and 2023.

Richard Barnwell DL VLL

Trustee

Richard has dedicated his life to public service, community development, and heritage preservation.

Married to Beverly, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in 2004 and served as Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire from 2017 to 2020. He also served as High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire from 2011 to 2012, during which time he became involved with the Cambridgeshire Shrieval Trust.

Richard has been a resident of Wisbech since 1976, where he has played a key role in the town's civic and charitable activities. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored as an Honorary Freeman of Wisbech in 2012. His leadership roles include:

President of Wisbech Museum
Vice President of the Wisbech Society
Founder and Trustee of The Octavia Hill Birthplace Museum
Chairman of Wisbech Charities, Wisbech Almshouses, and Wisbech Regeneration Trust
Trustee of Elizabeth Wright Charity, Lilian Ream Photographic Trust, and several other North Cambridgeshire charities

His commitment to emergency services is evident through his fundraising efforts for MAGPAS Air Ambulance, now based in Alconbury.

Current Roles and Interests

Now residing on his estate in Northamptonshire, Richard continues his work in heritage and community development. He is:

Trustee of Peterborough Cathedral
President of Kettering Civic Society
Trustee of the Victoria County History Trust
Trustee of the Northamptonshire County Heritage Trust

Richard is also an Honorary Freeman of London, a Worshipful Farmer, and a Paul Harris Rotary Fellow.

As Chairman of two Northamptonshire Parish Councils, he played a pivotal role in founding the new village of Mawsley, which was built on his land in 2001.

A Passion for Preservation

Professionally, Richard is an Auctioneer, Landowner, and Farmer with a deep commitment to:

Practical preservation and heritage conservation
Woodland regeneration and wetland creation
Civic pride and fostering a sense of place for future generations

His lifelong dedication to community, history, and the environment continues to shape the places and people around him.

Sarah Hughes

Trustee

I'm a married mother of one who's resided in Cambridgeshire all my life. I’m a career Civil Servant & through this role I’ve got to understand the problems that face the inhabitants of both the urban & rural areas within the county.
I’ve always had an interest in people's welfare & through links to the Judicial System supporting victims of Domestic Abuse has been an area I'm proud to have had engagement with . With this background I hope to be able to have an idea of the issues faced by the people the Bobby Scheme supports & am proud to be a Trustee .

Caroline Bewes DL

Trustee

Caroline was born and raised in Bedford. After leaving school, she trained as a PA in Oxford and subsequently worked for Oxford University Press, and then in the marketing department of Tropicana UK Ltd in Guildford just as they launched in the UK.

She married Nicholas in 1991, and they have three children and one grandchild. In 1999, the family moved from Surrey to Cambridgeshire to live in Little Shelford.
Caroline has been a non-Executive Director of the Howard Group (a family property business which was started by her grandfather) since 1994.

As a shareholder of the company, she also chairs the Family Council. She is a Trustee of a number of charities including the Howard Foundation, Mrs Jane Cart’s Trust, and the Police Shrievalty Trust and is also a Patron of Viva, an arts and community group in Soham. Caroline is involved in her local church, where she has served as churchwarden.

Caroline served as High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire in 2021/22, and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire in 2021.

Jennifer Crompton DL

Trustee

Jennifer was born in South Korea and raised in Massachusetts, where she attended Wellesley College, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Political Science. Jennifer moved to New York after she was awarded a scholarship at Brooklyn Law School, and embarked on a career in financial derivatives, working for UBS, Sumitomo Capital Markets, and Sakura Global Capital.

After living in New York and Hong Kong, Jennifer moved to London in 2000 with her family. Since moving to the UK, Jennifer has been involved in a range of charitable activities, in particular advising on fundraising, development, and public events for causes focused on inclusion, education, and the arts. These have included Into University, NSPCC, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and the Museum of London.

In 2014, Jennifer and her husband purchased Sawston Hall, a Tudor manor house in South Cambridgeshire, where they undertook an extensive renovation of the Grade I listed house and grounds. Since moving full time to Cambridgeshire in 2016, Jennifer has been active in charitable causes in the county, and is the Honorary Patron of A M Challis Trust; a Patron of Viva Arts; a Trustee of the Cambridgeshire Police Shrievalty Trust (The Bobby Scheme); a Patron of Kettle’s Yard; a member of the Marley Group at the Fitzwilliam Museum; and a Trustee of the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation. Most recently, Jennifer completed her training as a Special Constable and is based at Parkside Police Station in Cambridge.

Jennifer is also very interested in causes relating to her native South Korea and serves on the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council in UK, to advise on reunification policy.

In 2022/23, Jennifer was High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire in 2023.

Alex Schaafsma

David Way

Trustee

David Way studied Law at Cambridge University and then practised as a solicitor in London. He is married to Rosemary, who was a primary school teacher, and they have two sons and four granddaughters.

He was Churchwarden of his village church for 34 years; and is currently the chairman of the Friends of Peterborough Cathedral and the charity Art Friends Cambridgeshire.

Ex-offico trustee – CC Nick Dean

Chief Constable, Nick Dean

Ex-offico trustee

Nick has more than 30 years' police service. He first joined Norfolk Constabulary in September 1992, where he gained experience first in uniformed roles such as patrol and custody, before periods in the control room, corporate support and neighbourhood policing. He has also spent time within investigations.

Promotion to Inspector saw Nick oversee rural policing across the Fenland area following a high profile event and this included working in one of the first cross border units alongside Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire police forces.

A spell in CID at Detective Inspector level within Norwich led to his promotion to Chief Inspector where Nick was responsible for the city centre neighbourhood sectors, custody, special constabulary and roads policing.

In 2004 Nick returned to the west of the county to take up a position as District Superintendent for Kings Lynn and Breckland. He remained there after a force restructure until he was transferred to Norwich as the District Commander. Prior to being promoted to Assistant Chief Constable, Nick was head of CID and then Chief Superintendent for the county’s local policing structure.

He was appointed Temporary Assistant Chief Constable within Norfolk in June 2013 and was made substantive ACC in May 2016; he became temporary Deputy Chief Constable in October 2016. Nick was substantively promoted to DCC in February 2017.

He was appointed as the Chief Constable at Cambridgeshire Constabulary in September 2018.

In his role as Chief, Nick is the NPCC Lead for Forensics under the Crime Coordination Committee. Nick is also an assessor at the Senior Police Assessment Centre and one of the Co-directors.

Past Trustees

A List Of Our Past Trustees

Past Trustees

A list of our previous trustees

Dr Bharatkumar N Khetani
Brigadier Tim Seal TD DL VR
His Honour N A McKittrick DL
Dr Andrew Harter CBE
Richard Pemberton
Sir David Arculus
Captain V H Lucas DL RN
Mrs L A Fairbrother

The Hon A J F Buxton
Mrs Penelope Walkinshaw
Dr N W Brown OBE
The Lady De Ramsey
Niki HowardDavid Ramply
David Riddington
Charlotte Black
Jeremy Marshall

John Bridge
Hugh Duberly.CBE.
Charles Chadwyck-Healey
Simon Leatham
Gloria Culyer
Peter Horrell
Liz Damazer
Mark Hopkins

Ex-offico past trustees

A List Of Our Past Ex-offico past trustees

Agencies

Agencies we work with and partners who support our charity

The importance of The Bobby Scheme is recognised by our partners. We work alongside various agencies mainly by way of referral to provide a well-rounded service to victims and residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The cost of the Bobby Scheme is estimated at £270 to work at each home. Being a very small charity we are continually seeking funding to support the work we do. We would therefore welcome any financial support that you, your association or your company could provide to enable us to help more of our communities and residents.

Opportunities exist for commercial organisations to sponsor The Bobby Scheme. Details are available from the Trust Manager at: perri@cpstrust.org

We are immensely grateful for donations of any size from individuals, societies, clubs, or charitable trusts.