A NEW initiative to offer ‘safe places’ for vulnerable members of the community is being introduced in Abergavenny.

Hopes are high that the Safe Places scheme will work to help an assortment of groups with mental health or learning issues.

An open meeting is being held at the town’s fire station on Tuesday (sep 15) to thrash out how the project might best be implemented.

Police and other social agencies have issued a free invitation for people to pop along to the Hereford Road station between 1-3pm to share their ideas.

They are particularly interested in coming up with a suitable logo which can be placed in shop and office windows to denote they are ‘safe places.’

Town centre PCSO Ruth Moyse said, “More people with learning disabilities are coming into the town and getting involved with the community. The scheme is a good idea.”

The Abergavenny project has been inspired by a similar successful venture in Hereford.

The local plan will hopes to adopt parts of the dementia-friendly tag which has been assumed by neighbours Raglan and Usk.

Already a mix of banks, businesses and national and independent traders have signed up for participation in the enterprise.