They’re the new friendly faces out and about on the streets of North Tyneside during the Covid-19 pandemic with a clear mission – to help people and give advice.
Nine ‘North Tyneside Marshals’, as they are known, have started work and will act as a reassuring presence for members of the public during increasingly uncertain times.
The marshals do not have enforcement powers – their role is to engage, encourage and explain the latest rules and public health advice to residents, businesses and visitors.
North Tyneside Council will use intelligence from the public health team to deploy the teams, who will work in threes, to the most effective locations.
They have leaflets with key public health advice and information on support available from the council, partners and community to give out.
The questions and comments they receive from the public will be fed back to the council in order to inform future communications and engagement activity.
The council has arranged with Nexus, Arriva, Go North East and Stagecoach that the marshals will be able to travel for free on Metro trains and buses while carrying out their duties.
Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn CBE said: “It’s really good news for residents and businesses that our team of marshals are out and about around the borough where they’re needed – this is particularly timely as we enter the four-week national lockdown.
“The marshals are a reassuring presence who are there to talk to people, help them, and explain the rules so we can all stay safe. They’ll only be referring issues to our Community Protection Team and Police if absolutely necessary, so it’s part of a balanced approach we’re taking.
“We’re continuing to do everything we can to keep North Tyneside a safe place and the marshals will be working hard to ensure we all do our bit to follow the latest regulations and guidance.”
One of the new marshals, Nicola Whynham, said: “Our job is to engage with the public around the borough, just to have a friendly chat with people so they can understand what the regulations are.
“It’s important we can help the public because I think there is still some confusion around the new regulations and things changing all the time, so we can keep up-to-date and keep the residents up-to-date.
“It’s nice that people can see us as a presence and approach us – we’re all friendly people and are here just to help and give advice if needed.”
Meanwhile, the council has also appointed an Information Officer to support businesses in the borough to operate safely.
The officer will work with business owners to ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities and shopping areas are resilient and able to adapt to the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. The post is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014-2020.
