Celebrate Safely This Season:
Welcome to our festive ‘Communi-tree’. As the holiday season brings joy and celebration, it also brings seasonal safety challenges. Our festive icons are filled with essential tips to help you and your friends and family stay secure and enjoy a peaceful season.
Click the X button to reveal practical crime prevention advice tailored to this festive time of the year!
Neighbourhood Watch Angel
Getting involved with Neighbourhood Watch is a great way to keep your community safe and stay connected. Today, it’s not just about crime – it’s about community wellbeing and neighbourliness.
The Neighbourhood Watch team is here to help all year round and our website has various resources to help you. If you are not already a member have a look at our website to get your neighbourliness journey started: Setting up a watch
Our ‘Safer Neighbourhoods, Stronger Communities’ booklet brings together key safety and security advice, perfect for keeping on hand and you can access this here: Safer neighbourhoods, Stronger Communities
So, be a ‘Neighbourly Angel’ this festive season and make sure you, your friends and family have all signed up for Neighbourhood Alerts: Sign-up for alerts.
It’s free, easy, and will help keep you off Santa’s naughty list!
Lock Up for a Silent Night
Festive Safety
No one wants to be a victim of crime, especially at this time of year. Ensure your home is secure before heading out to any festivities.
Tips include:
- Lock your windows and doors, set alarms.
- Program indoor timer lights to turn on at dusk, giving your home a “lived-in/at home” look.
- Motion detecting floodlights are great for deterring intruders and increasing visibility.
- Keep valuables out of sight whether in the home or in your vehicle. Make sure valuables, including parcels under the tree, are not visible.
- Keep blinds and curtains drawn when it gets dark.
- If your home is going to be empty – let a trusted neighbour know.
For further information on how to avoid thefts during the holiday season visit Your house – Police Scotland.
Our Neighbourhood Watch Alert messaging system provides free advice and support from our trusted partners, all year round. Sign-up for alerts
Remember you can anonymously report suspicious activity through the confidential Crimestoppers hotline.
Safe Nights Out (Fa la la la la)
We all like to have fun at Christmas time. It is important to make sure everyone has a safe time as well as a good time.
Personal Safety Top Tips:
- Stay with friends if out in a group and plan how to get home in advance. Look out for those who seem vulnerable or in need of help.
- Drink responsibly and be mindful of your surroundings. Drink spiking is never the victims fault. However, there are things you can do to keep yourself safe and to look out for others when you are out or socialising, visit Spiking – Safer.scot.
- Be cautious of social media scams, don’t share personal information with strangers and be careful with what you post on social media when out and about as this promotes where you are and that your house may be empty.
- For advice on keeping safe on nights out and when out meeting new people visit Safe nights out – Police Scotland.
- Harassment at home, at work or out and about is never acceptable. Further information on dealing with this is available in the Neighbourhood Watch Safety Booklet (page 43) or the Suzy Lamplugh Trust
- The ‘What 3 Words’ app can be used to pinpoint your location to responders in the event of an emergency.
Sparkle Safely
Don’t give fire a chance this festive season. Take steps now to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable festive season.
- Test home fire alarms, CO2 alarms, boilers and avoid overloading electrical equipment.
- Check used Christmas lights for damage and switch them off at night and when you are out.
- Keep candles away from Christmas trees, wrapped presents, decorations, and other flammable objects. Never leave candles unattended and consider using flameless LED candles as a safer alternative.
- Don’t put decorations immediately above or around the fireplace.
- Never leave cooking unattended.
Check out the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website for more information.
Paws, Claus & Hooves
There are lots of interesting items about the house that draw the attention of our pets. Take care to ensure your pet doesn’t hurt themselves on festive items.
Keep pets away from chocolate, tinsel, toys and batteries. Store antifreeze safely—just a small amount is toxic.
There is lots of good advice on looking after pets and other animals, especially at this time of year, by visiting:
For equestrian safety and advice on reporting any welfare concerns visit the British Horse Society:
- Our safety work
- Our welfare work
- As well as the Horse App to report incidents
Frosty’s Travel Tips
Winter means changes in road conditions, longer periods of darkness and unpredictable weather.Whether out and about by car, cycle, walk/wheel be prepared for your journey.
Keep yourself and others safe. Check tyres and lights, plan for icy conditions, and never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The following links from Police Scotland provide tips to ensure your journey is comfortable and stress-free:
Plan your route using Latest travel news and updates from Traffic Scotland or the Met Office app to keep track of weather impacts around the country.
Be mindful of other vulnerable road users such as children, runners, cyclists and horse riders especially when visibility is poor and weather challenging. ‘Slow down, give space and drive slowly.’
No Room at the Inn for loan sharks
Keep Your Christmas Merry—Say No to Illegal Money Lenders
The rising cost of living could mean that more people feel that they have no option but to turn to an illegal money lender, or loan shark. According to recent research carried out by the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit (SIMLU), almost a third of Scots are struggling to cover Christmas spending on top of bills, food and other necessities.
You may feel that you have nowhere to turn, but help is available – you are not alone.
SIMLU provides advice and support to those who have already borrowed money from a loan shark, those who are worried about a family member or client and those who are unsure where to turn for help. The free and confidential 24-hour loan shark helpline is open 7 days a week – call 0800 074 0878 or fill out the online contact form.
Find out more, including details of other organisations who can help if you are in a financial crisis by visiting stopillegallending.co.uk
Don’t let Ebenezer Scrooge ruin your new year…take action now.
Don’t get Scrooged
Trading Standards – Consumer Advice. Know your Rights
If anything goes wrong with a trader or company you are dealing with, or if you regret a decision you made to purchase goods or services, you can contact consumeradvice.scot for free advice and information. They deliver the free national consumer advice service in partnership with the Scottish Government, Trading Standards Scotland and local Trading Standards offices.
Their consumer advisors can provide practical and impartial advice on how to resolve consumer problems; inform you of the consumer laws which may apply to your situation; and pass relevant information onto Trading Standards for further investigation. Their advice can be accessed between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0808 164 6000 or via their webchat service at www.consumeradvice.scot Alternatively, their knowledge centre can be accessed 24 hours a day.
They also offer a dedicated scam reporting service. Reporting a scam helps with work to protect people across the country – this can be done via scamwatch.scot
You can also find a wealth of information and advice about your rights and support that is available to you by visiting Citizensadvice
Beware of Festive Fraudsters
Stay vigilant this festive season! Cyber fraud is an increasing issue. With the rise of digital transactions and online activities, it is essential to stay informed about potential threats and how to mitigate them.
For advice and information on cybercrime and fraud threats, visit the Cyber and Fraud Hub – Scotland’s only charity that works with the banking industry, Policing and technology partners.) or if you think you may have been affected by fraud or any online scam call the free incident response line on 0808 281 3580.
Top Tips:
- Learn how to avoid thefts & scams during the holiday season at: Advice & Information – Police Scotland
- Stay protected and shop from trusted websites. Beware of deals that seem too good to be true.
- Avoid any unsolicited emails or messages asking for personal information and look out for fake delivery notifications.
- Update Your Passwords: Strong, unique passwords are essential. Use multi-factor authentication wherever possible.
- Monitor your financial Accounts: Regularly check bank statements for unusual activity and set alerts for large transactions.
- See the ‘ASK SILVER’ website to check out potential SCAMS.
Keep Warm / Keep Healthy
For information on easing the symptoms of common winter viruses Public Health Scotland.
Self-help guides for various other illnesses can also be found on NHS Inform.
Keeping warm:
- The cost-of-living crisis and the increase in energy prices are worrying for us all. Home Energy Scotland can help with free, impartial advice on saving energy and keeping warm at home with services that can help with financial support like debt and emergency funding.
- Check out the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment if you think you are eligible.
- Keep emergency utility contact numbers handy in case you need to refer to them in the event of an outage.
- The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free support service for people who may be vulnerable. This is a free service and offers support to elderly and vulnerable people during any utilities disruptions to prioritise services for those that need it most.
- To register:
Call 0800 294 3259 | visit www.thepsr.co.uk
If you use a textphone, call 0800 316 5457
Sleigh bells ringing
Stay connected this festive season
NWS continues to work with BT to help support the digital migration from analogue landlines in Scotland. Our focus is to support those who have yet to switch and who may be fearful of what this may mean for them.
The NWS team will be out, spreading the word in 2026 and trying to reach those who may have yet to engage in the process as we don’t want anyone to be left behind. Just like poor Rudolph!
The team may be coming to a place near you. Check out our events calendar in the new year for more information.
BT Connected-Together Campaign
Winter Wonderland
Adverse Weather:
Scotland is no stranger to severe weather, which can disrupt our lives in all sorts of ways.
Top Tips:
- Watch out for frozen pipes that may lead to unwanted leaks. Advice on how to avoid this and what action to take in the event of a leak can be found here.
- Ready Scotland provide lots of tips and advice on dealing with severe weather. Check this out now – and be prepared.
- Seasonal advice and weather alerts are available from the Met Office
- You can also sign up for flood forecasts and alerts from Floodline Scotland
Remember those that live alone – we urge you to check in on elderly or vulnerable neighbours, especially during cold snaps as they may need additional support at these times. A friendly knock can make all the difference to those who live alone.
Help look after those that need it and be a neighbourly angel.
Elf and Safety
Safe Shopping:
- Stay alert in busy areas and be aware of your surroundings. Consider where you park your car – keep to well lit areas.
- Avoid over-burdening yourself with packages and keep your bag secure at all times.
- Pay with secure methods such as credit cards. Consider a signal blocking barrier such as a Faraday Pouch or card to protect the contents of your wallet from unwanted scanning.
- If carrying cash, keep it close to your body and separate from other valuables.
- Be cautious when using ATMs. Check that the machine has not been tampered with and keep a safe distance away from prying eyes. Shield your PIN.
- Keep parcels out of sight when stored in your car – store in the car boot if you can.
- An NWS lanyard to connect purse and bag, faraday pouch and purse bells are great ways to keep your valuables safe and prevent opportunist theft. Check out our online shop for security gift pack.
- Check our Police Scotland’s personal safety advice.
NECESSARY
ENGAGING
INVALUABLE
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS
HELPFUL
BESPOKE TO LOCAL NEEDS
ON THE RISE!
UNITY
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES
LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER
INCLUSIVE
NOT TO BE UNDER ESTIMATED
ENHANCING WELLBEING AND ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY SPIRIT
SUSTAINABLE
SUPPORTIVE
Tis the Season to be Jolly
The holiday season can be joyful, but it can also be a challenging time for many. While some look forward to festive gatherings, others may experience stress, loneliness, or low mood.
It’s important to remember that you’re not alone, and there are simple steps that can help support your wellbeing by:
- taking time for yourself
- reducing screen time
- staying active and spend time outdoors in nature
- sleep well
- trying breath work for relaxation
- volunteering within the community
- reaching out to someone you trust or seeking support when you need it such as Breathing Space:
Breathing Space is a free confidential service for people in Scotland. Open up when you’re feeling down – phone 0800 83 85 87
NHS Inform: Scottish health information you can trust
Samaritans: Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy | Here to listen
Be mindful this season, be kind to yourself and to those around you—small acts of kindness can make a big difference to you and others.