About Safe Partnership
Safe Partnership is the national charity that helps the elderly and vulnerable in need, particularly elderly and vulnerable victims of crimes that compromise the security of their homes, for example domestic violence, hate crime, robbery (loss of house keys) and dwelling burglary; and those living in the vicinity of such victims.
The charity was originally formed in 1987 as The McCarthy Foundation for the relief of poverty in the elderly. The Foundation pioneered reactive interventions to help elderly victims of crime, funding several hundred schemes between 1987 and 1998 . Amongst the largest were schemes in Bournemouth, Bristol, Eastbourne, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newham, Nottingham and Plymouth. The Nottingham scheme, started in 1993, called Security and Advice for the Elderly (SAFE), provided a carpenter in a suitably equipped vehicle to respond to victims’ needs. It was so successful that the Foundation promoted it elsewhere as the BOBBY Project.
Bobby Project.
Ten Bobby schemes were initiated by the Foundation between July 1998 and December 2000 in England and Wales to respond to victims of burglary. The original schemes in Avon & Somerset, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Bexley, Cambridgeshire, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent, Hampshire, Lambeth and Wiltshire are very successful. Repeat victimisation under this project continues to be less than 1%.
Target Hardening Initiatives.
Following the change of name to Safe Partnership Limited in the year 2000, the charity consolidated its position as the leading provider of home security for older and vulnerable people by securing the largest of the contracts awarded under the Home Office Locks for Pensioners initiative and has not looked back since.