Meet the Building Communities Together team

We are a team of officers from West Berkshire Council who work to support the Building Communities Together Partnership, which is the Community Safety Partnership for West Berkshire.

We help the agencies that make up the Building Communities Together Partnership to fulfil their statutory duties. We support multi agency working across the district, to make sure that West Berkshire continues to be a safe place to live, learn, work and visit.
 

Alex O'Connor - Building Communities Together Team Manager 

I am responsible for coordinating the work of the team. We collaborate with a wide range of officers from across the council, partner organisations and, importantly, with communities.

I also work with partnership colleagues across West Berkshire to develop a common understanding of the issues of antisocial behaviour and community disputes. Working together, we provide a strategic and coordinated partnership approach to addressing and reducing antisocial behaviour, community disputes and criminal activities in West Berkshire. We also make sure that all antisocial related enforcement powers are fully utilised.

I am also the Prevent lead for the council and I represent the council and BCT Partnership on regional and national forums in respect of community safety.

Jessica Ryall-Spoor - Senior Programme Officer

I am the lead officer for domestic abuse related activities and issues for the council. We deliver a strategic and coordinated partnership approach to raising awareness and reducing domestic abuse in West Berkshire. This includes upholding the council's duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

I am responsible for developing community based solutions and a common understanding of vulnerability to address issues of modern slavery, female genital mutilation, honour based violence, forced marriage, radicalisation and child exploitation. Furthermore, I support the council with upholding its duties under the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 by coordinating all Prevent related activities and overseeing all Channel referrals.

Rhys Lewis - Community Co-ordinator (Engagement)

I work closely with grass root and established community groups to help bridge the gap between them and the council, sharing information and supporting them. I chair a monthly Community Conversation that allows them to share information and create a strong network.

I sit on the West Berkshire Action Hate Crime board. I am also involved in supporting the Afghan Refugees and Ukraine Guests.

Sue Butterworth - Programme Officer (Healthy Communities)

I work across the BCT and Public Health teams to support the development of healthy and resilient communities across West Berkshire.

I work in partnership with colleagues across a wide range of teams within West Berkshire Council and with voluntary and community sector partners. My role supports communities to adopt community development approaches to tackle social isolation, loneliness and health inequalities. I am a member of our Ageing Well Task Group, working to support our older residents to stay as active, healthy and socially connected as possible.

I also lead on dementia in our Public Health team, managing our commissioned Dementia Friendly West Berkshire service. This service works in partnership throughout the district to make West Berkshire a better place to live well with dementia.

Amy Bosley - Project Support Officer (Nature for Health)

My role involves working across both the BCT and Public Health teams.

I work in partnership with local businesses and community partners to develop and deliver green space and nature activities to promote and improve physical and mental health and wellbeing. The project aims to engage and enable everyone to be a part of their local community and reduce social isolation and loneliness.

Lindsey Upton - Violence Reduction Officer 

The Serious Violence Duty (included within the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) puts in to statute the requirement for local authorities to work with their statutory, community and voluntary sector partners to reduce serious violence within their respective local authority.

I am responsible for making sure the local authority and our partners are ready for, and adhering to, the Duty requirements. My role is the Single Point of Contact for the Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), connecting the VRU, local authority and partners. I lead on embedding a place-based, whole systems public health approach to tackle and prevent serious violence.

My role is also responsible for the coordination and implementation of West Berks' Serious Violence Reduction Action Plan in collaboration with partner agencies.