ICON's collaboration with Victim Support Malta (VSM) for Project Watch Out officially kicked-off earlier this year following VSM's success at the Social Impact Awards 2016. 

ICON is delighted to have embarked on this new CSR journey in Malta. The collaboration was initiated by the Social

Impact Awards to which ICON donated €10,000 worth of Digital Marketing services. Victim Support Malta's 'Project Watch Out' was one of the winning initiatives and we're proud to be working on this exciting project for safer communities in Malta. 

ICON met with Victim Support Malta's Isotta Rossoni to understand how she felt about Project Watch Out and having the opportunity to work with ICON's Digital Marketing team.

'Project Watch Out' was selected as one of the winners at the Social Impact Awards, how did Victim Support Malta feel about the win?

We were thrilled that 'Project Watch Out' was selected as one of the winners of the Social Impact Awards. We believed in the project from the start and we knew it had potential. However, with so many interesting and innovative projects contending for the awards, we didn't really know what to expect. Considering the fierce competition, we are even more pleased with this achievement.

ICON is contributing €10,000 worth of digital marketing services and consultation to 'Project Watch Out'. What does ICON's support mean to VSM and the initiative?

We are excited and grateful that ICON will be collaborating with us on this project. It is already apparent that their contribution and input will be invaluable. It is a relief to be able to rely on such expertise!

How can ICON best help VSM to improve its digital presence?

We have made a lot of progress in recent months; we have started organizing events and promoting them online, we have produced a couple of short awareness-raising videos, started a blog and published our first ever newsletter. However, we do not have the full picture of our digital presence. We don't really know how popular our website is, and whether it ranks high or low in terms of keyword search. We think ICON can help us familiarize ourselves with the broader picture and assist us in improving the extent and impact of our reach.

With our digital marketing expertise and your experience of social projects, what does VSM hope we can achieve together?

Firstly, we hope to make Project Watch Out a massive success. We really believe in the project's potential, and we're convinced that with ICON's support, Project WO will achieve much more impact. We also hope that through this project and thanks to our collaboration with ICON, we will make more people aware of our organisations and the services we offer to victims of crime.

Project Watch Out - for safer communities in Malta

Project Watch Out is an initiative for implementing neighbourhood watch within our communities.  

The overall goal of the project is to see neighbourhood watch schemes implemented in at least 5 high-crime localities in Malta, such as Swieqi, Madliena, St. Julian's Sliema and Bugibba. To achieve this goal, the project was split into two phases, one focusing on training and the other on implementation.Through the Social Impact Awards, VSM managed to secure funding for the first phase of the project. In early 2017, an experienced trainer named Lianne Taylor flew down from the UK to deliver specialised training on neighbourhood watch to VSM staff members; VSM has in turn engaged 10 high-crime localities in order to deliver the training to community members.

The idea is to get community members to be more involved in the life of their community, as well as provide them with the skills and know-how to set up and run a neighbourhood watch in their area. Research proves that neighbourhood watch schemes can effectively help reduce crime, and more broadly, enhance safety and wellbeing in the community. VSM is convinced that neighbourhood watch schemes can positively impact Maltese society, contributing to preventing crime and building social capital.

The Victim Support Malta Facebook page has almost 7,000 followers and its website is experiencing record levels of traffic.  

Commenting on the project, Ms. Isotta Rossoni, VSM PR and Project Coordinator stated: "When it comes to raising awareness, defending a worthy cause is not enough - 'Packaging' it, promoting it and conveying the message is essential to make a big impact. ICON is helping us promote 'Project Watch Out' as well as our organisation, in creative and innovative ways. We are excited to be working with such great professionals. After just a few months, we can already notice how VSM is benefiting from this support"

ICON is proud to be working with VSM, a local NGO which provides support and assistance to victims of crime.