Wiltshire charity hoping to inspire other police forces with TV appearance

Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust is appearing on Crime Watch

Author: Aaron HarperPublished 19th Mar 2024

A Wiltshire charity that supports the county's elderly and vulnerable is appearing on a BBC TV show.

The Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust is appearing on a live broadcast of Crime Watch in Cardiff.

Charity director Jennie Shaw will be appearing on the show, where she'll be discussing their work keeping people safe from crime.

She told Greatest Hits Radio that the exposure is great for the charity, which works in partnership with Wiltshire Police.

"What an opportunity," she said, "We are a local charity, doing local work in Wiltshire and Swindon and to have the coverage is really important to us, because I know we make a big difference to our clients lives."

She added that she hopes it encourages other police forces to do something similar.

The charity add security devices to homes to improve their safety as well as offering advice to keep people safe online and how to identify potential scams.

Mrs Shaw told us that last year the charity boosted security of 1,500 Wiltshire homes.

"A visit can be life-changing for our clients, we just want to make sure they're safe at home and on the computer and give them the confidence to remain there with their family and their friends," she said.

The charity was recently involved in the recent launch of Wristbands for people living with Dementia, which help the public recognise that people may need support.

Jennie Shaw described the Bobby Van Trust as 'Wiltshire's best kept secret'

Mrs Shaw and her colleague Mick Leighfield will be in Cardiff from 6:30am to prepare for the show.

And while she's looking forward to the appearance, Mrs Shaw said there will be some nerves.

"Luckily, after 17 years of working with the Bobby Van, I know it inside out! But it will be nerve-wracking for sure," she said.

The show is being broadcast live at 9:30am on BBC One.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.