by Janine Hill

Behind every community group is a core team who can be relied upon to keep things running in the face of adversity.

Tony Bryant is part of the core team of the Burnside Neighbourhood Watch Group. 

Since 2009, with the exception of about a year, Tony has written and compiled the group’s quarterly newsletter, which is delivered to hundreds of letterboxes.

His contribution to the group was recognised on Saturday, 28 October, when he was awarded the Neighbourhood Watch Community Member of the Year Award for the Sunshine Coast region.

Tony, an electronics whiz who also holds a diploma in journalism, got involved with Neighbourhood Watch when he was asked to help with the group’s newsletter.

Thanks to the efforts of Tony and his fellow committee members, Burnside Neighbourhood Watch Group is still going strong when two nearby groups recently folded.

“I think we’ve rescued the group three times so far,” Tony said. 

“COVID-19 was really bad for groups like us. 

“We couldn’t hold meetings or get our newsletter printed or delivered to homes for almost a year, but we’ve bounced back yet again”.

He is simply a believer in the power of Neighbourhood Watch to keep communities safe and reduce crime.

“Most groups put out a newsletter, and we distribute 850 newsletters to our residents four times a year,” he said.

“Every house in our area gets one, no matter where they live. 

“If you might be a bit criminally inclined, it suggests to you that other people who live in your street are on alert,” he said.

Tony said Neighbourhood Watch groups’ mission is to increase awareness about local crime trends so that residents remembered to take necessary precautions.

He said receiving the certificate for Community Member of the Year was nice but his commitment to Neighbourhood Watch was for his own benefit as much as anyone else’s.

“People say I’m very community-minded but I’m not really. I’m actually quite selfish. 

“If I do what I can to make the neighbourhood safer for me, I’m making it safer for everyone else as well,” he said.

Neighbourhood Watch Week runs from 6 to 12 November.