Secure Response Services supporting St Mary's Church

In August 2015 around 6 tonnes of lead sheet was stolen from the roof of St Mary's Church in Combs.

Our Secure Response Services team have been working with the church to help protect it from further vandalism, whilst also raising money towards repair costs. 

The team have put in a place a number of measures to help ensure the safety of the church staff, while also protecting the building and its historical assets so that people can continue to visit and enjoy the church for many years to come. 

A comprehensive CCTV system has now been put in place, with the help and support of Marriott Security, which will be monitored 24/7 from the ARC, the state-of-the-art Alarm Receiving Centre based at our Wherstead Park Head Office. Our controllers are alerted to any event allowing them to identify potential threats and report any criminal activity to the police. The Secure Response Service team also carry out regular site checks and will attened incidents along with the Church Wardens. 

Lee Hamond, Head of Secure Response Services explaine:"As well as the CCTV system, we’ve also installed a new audio system which allows our controllers to speak to any potential vandals with the aim of stopping them in their tracks. 

“Secure Response Services retains the co-operative ethos and we like to think we’re more than just a security company – we know that crime on any scale can have a devastating impact and we take protecting our local businesses and communities very seriously.”

Local East of England Co-op colleagues have also been helping to raise funds towards the repair costs. Funeral Director Aaron Farrell and colleague Sancha Green, from our Meredith Greengrass branch in Stowmarket, took to the skies completing a sky dive raising over £600 pounds. The branch also arranged a quiz night and raffle at local pub, The Gladstone Arms, which raised a further £470. 

Shoppers at the East of England Co-op’s Combs Ford Supermarket can also support the fundraising efforts, with St Mary’s Church currently one of the chosen causes for the store token scheme.

You can find out more about our Secure Response Services team and how they could help support you here.