Thank you to everyone who has given us such constructive feedback on the existing logo licence guidelines and particular thanks to those of you who took part in the focus group last September.
Following discussion with many Force Area representatives and after taking advice from our solicitors, the NHWN Board of Trustees reviewed the issue of logo licensing at its recent Board meeting on February 8.
The Board has decided that the new logo should be made freely available for all NHW members to use – without a license – with immediate effect.
We appreciate that for some of you who have been unable to use the new logo because of the constitutional position of your Force Area Association, this will be a welcome change that will enable you to move forward.
The original guidelines were put in place with the best of intentions to protect the integrity of our valued Neighbourhood Watch brand but, despite those best efforts, we now acknowledge that policing the licence system is impossible in today’s digital age.
The Board also felt that Force Areas should be empowered to use the new logo without restrictions – as long as users adhere to our standard brand guidelines.
The Board also accepted the legal advice provided that there should be an end date for the procurement of NHWN items and print materials using the old logo. We have agreed that this date will be 31st March 2017.
Therefore, we ask that no orders for newly produced items should use the old logo with effect from 1st April 2017.
However, this does not mean that stocks of material bearing the old logo should be wasted or destroyed. Please continue to use these until you need to refresh your stocks when you can of course use the new logo.
Registered print suppliers are still subject to registering with us annually, but no longer need to request an order number. Non registered printers can supply products ordered, but CANNOT use our logo to advertise their services or products.
Lynn Farrar
NHWN Chair of Trustees