A renovation project of lighting around a church in Swansea has proven the benefits of good-quality outdoor lighting, as members of the congregation now feel infinitely safer going to and from the building.
People had voiced concerns about the dark areas surrounding the church, suggesting that a lack of lighting meant that it was possibly attracting troublemakers to the grounds, the South Wales Evening Post reported. Because of this, members of the congregation - many of whom were elderly - had expressed fears about not feeling terribly safe without better lighting in the area.
A collaboration between St Mary's Church in Swansea city centre and the city council's environment department saw not only the immediate grounds of the church receive improved lighting, but also the surrounding areas.
Church warden Sid Kidwell explained how members of the congregation were delighted with the results and expressed his thanks to the local authorities and Safer Swansea - an organisation responsible for working to reduce crime, antisocial behaviour and fear of crime - for their help with the initiative.
The project has been commended for its cost-effectiveness, further demonstrating that retrofit projects in order to improve the security of properties using better lighting need not break the bank.
Reena Owen, chair of the Safer Swansea Partnership, said that although figures revealed lower rates of crime and antisocial behaviour had been recorded over recent years, "people unfortunately remain fearful and concerned in some places and circumstances".
If individuals find that they feel this way about their own home or business property, the situation can be easily remedied. The simple installation of some new porch lights could make all the difference in enabling people to feel secure when approaching or leaving the building at night.
An example of such a light might be the Endon Light Wall Lantern - subtle, effective and with a vandal-resistant diffuser included should it be required.
