GBENA



Mission Statement:
Our aim is to work towards improving safety, communication and engagement in Great Baddow by proactively working with local residents, businesses, city councillors, emergency services, and other relevant organisations.

History
The association was established by a group of local residents who wanted to contribute to the community and ‘make a real impact’. The main drive was that it seemed little was being done by existing organisations when significant incidents were occurring, and at what seemed like an increasing frequency.

Originally taking form under an extension of Neighbourhood Watch (which seemed the most closely linked organisation to address these issues), the association soon found that they were heavily restricted in what could be actively done whilst holding onto this title, due to existing members not wanting to innovate and/or work effectively as preferred by the local residents. Therefore the decision was made to branch off and create this association to work as its own entity.
Whilst the title contains ‘East’, the association is happy to try and help all of Great Baddow. The reason for adding ‘East’ was because the founding members of the association are based in that area. The association had to bear mind that this is a voluntary association with no official funding, so resources and time are very restricted. According to the 2011 general census Great Baddow East had 8377 residents, and the West 6273, so a total of 14,650 residents which has no doubt increased a considerably since 2011. Therefore trying to cover the entire area and amount of people in all of Great Baddow would have perhaps been an initial step too far, but this does not mean the association cannot work for the West, in fact the association welcomes any persons willing to contribute to the efforts of the Association who are based in West.

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