SAFEKey joins forces with Age UK Suffolk to create peace of mind
Friday, 6th November 2015.
Suffolk Constabulary are working in partnership with Age UK Suffolk, by using their established key fob recovery and key holder database service, to create peace of mind for older people.
There are already 6,500 members who have joined Suffolk SAFEKey, with members having had £20,000 worth of lost keys returned to their rightful owners as a result of joining this innovative scheme. The average cost of replacing keys on a fob is £500 and to replace your house keys and locks on average will cost £225. For example to re-programme a Ford Focus lock set is £495 and for a KIA Sorrento two keys will cost £358.
Members of Suffolk SAFEKey will receive a Suffolk Constabulary branded key fob, with a unique reference number, which allows the Constabulary to identify who the keys belong to. Suffolk SAFEKey aims to return lost keys to their registered owner with a £10 reward, given to the finder, if they hand them into the police or send them to a secure postal address. Keys will be returned if lost anywhere within the UK and European Union.
Suffolk SAFEKey also allows members to store additional information online via a secure database, and register a ‘key holder’. A key holder is someone the Constabulary can contact, family or friend, to gain access to a property, if the registered owner cannot be contacted. The named key holder will also be contacted if a Suffolk SAFEKey member is found to be in vulnerable state.
Age UK Suffolk is a charity that provides services at a local level to inspire, enable and support older people. It is recognised that the service offered by Suffolk SAFEKey could benefit members of Age UK Suffolk. In view of this partnership, £1 will be donated for every member that joins Suffolk SAFEKey as a result of wishing to support Age UK Suffolk.
Gareth Wilson, T/Chief Constable, said: "The police are handed thousands of keys that, despite our best efforts, cannot be reunited with their rightful owners. We are aware of the cost and concern resulting from lost keys, the average cost of replacing keys on a fob being up to £500.
"As it is possible for people to register additional information, this could allow officers to resolve issues in the most efficient manner and reduce the stress and concern that can result from certain situations.”
Money generated by Suffolk SAFEKey goes into the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioners Charitable arm, the Safer Suffolk Small Grants Fund, which supports local projects that seek to improve the quality of life for those that live, work, travel and invest in Suffolk.
Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "To date the Safer Suffolk Small Grants Fund has given over £150,000 to local grass roots projects to help fund initiatives that meet the objectives of my Police and Crime Plan.
"I am really pleased to support this fund which very successfully directs money generated by the Constabulary’s SAFEKey service. It is really pleasing to see this money making a difference to local projects.”
Sharron Cozens, Chief Executive of Age UK Suffolk said "We’re very happy to be involved in this unique scheme. We know that losing keys can be very worrying for anyone, but for older vulnerable people and their families this could provide an extra safeguard. It is a great opportunity to work in partnership with the Constabulary on a community focused project.”
The service costs as little as £1 per month to join. If you are interested in joining please visit www.suffolk.safekey.org.ukor call the Suffolk SAFEKey hotline 08444 121 802. By joining Suffolk SAFEKey you will be entered into a free draw to win £250 of high-street shopping vouchers.
There are already 6,500 members who have joined Suffolk SAFEKey, with members having had £20,000 worth of lost keys returned to their rightful owners as a result of joining this innovative scheme. The average cost of replacing keys on a fob is £500 and to replace your house keys and locks on average will cost £225. For example to re-programme a Ford Focus lock set is £495 and for a KIA Sorrento two keys will cost £358.
Members of Suffolk SAFEKey will receive a Suffolk Constabulary branded key fob, with a unique reference number, which allows the Constabulary to identify who the keys belong to. Suffolk SAFEKey aims to return lost keys to their registered owner with a £10 reward, given to the finder, if they hand them into the police or send them to a secure postal address. Keys will be returned if lost anywhere within the UK and European Union.
Suffolk SAFEKey also allows members to store additional information online via a secure database, and register a ‘key holder’. A key holder is someone the Constabulary can contact, family or friend, to gain access to a property, if the registered owner cannot be contacted. The named key holder will also be contacted if a Suffolk SAFEKey member is found to be in vulnerable state.
Age UK Suffolk is a charity that provides services at a local level to inspire, enable and support older people. It is recognised that the service offered by Suffolk SAFEKey could benefit members of Age UK Suffolk. In view of this partnership, £1 will be donated for every member that joins Suffolk SAFEKey as a result of wishing to support Age UK Suffolk.
Gareth Wilson, T/Chief Constable, said: "The police are handed thousands of keys that, despite our best efforts, cannot be reunited with their rightful owners. We are aware of the cost and concern resulting from lost keys, the average cost of replacing keys on a fob being up to £500.
"As it is possible for people to register additional information, this could allow officers to resolve issues in the most efficient manner and reduce the stress and concern that can result from certain situations.”
Money generated by Suffolk SAFEKey goes into the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioners Charitable arm, the Safer Suffolk Small Grants Fund, which supports local projects that seek to improve the quality of life for those that live, work, travel and invest in Suffolk.
Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "To date the Safer Suffolk Small Grants Fund has given over £150,000 to local grass roots projects to help fund initiatives that meet the objectives of my Police and Crime Plan.
"I am really pleased to support this fund which very successfully directs money generated by the Constabulary’s SAFEKey service. It is really pleasing to see this money making a difference to local projects.”
Sharron Cozens, Chief Executive of Age UK Suffolk said "We’re very happy to be involved in this unique scheme. We know that losing keys can be very worrying for anyone, but for older vulnerable people and their families this could provide an extra safeguard. It is a great opportunity to work in partnership with the Constabulary on a community focused project.”
The service costs as little as £1 per month to join. If you are interested in joining please visit www.suffolk.safekey.org.ukor call the Suffolk SAFEKey hotline 08444 121 802. By joining Suffolk SAFEKey you will be entered into a free draw to win £250 of high-street shopping vouchers.
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