Amy gives fresh new look to project that brings Newmarket Together

19 Jan 2026

A project to deliver long term change to benefit the community in Newmarket has a new look thanks to year eight-student Amy Andrew.

Amy, a pupil at Newmarket Academy designed the winning logo for the Newmarket Together project which brings together police, councils, health, housing organisations and our voluntary sector all with the aim of making the town a safer and better place to live for residents.

Cllr Donna Higgins, West Suffolk Council’s Cabinet Member for Families and Communities, and Suffolk Police Inspector Tim Scott presented Amy and runners up Kieran Burke and Oscar Owen with vouchers at the school.

Cllr Higgins, a former Suffolk teacher said: “These students are the future, and I am delighted that Newmarket Academy pupils are involved in the work of Newmarket Together. Amy’s design really captured the spirit of what this partnership is about, working hand in hand to make Newmarket a safer and even better place to live for families and other people, supporting their health and wellbeing as well as delivering the council’s ambition for a thriving West Suffolk.”

Martin Witter, headteacher at Newmarket Academy, said: “We are very proud of the role our school plays in the heart of the local Newmarket community. We are delighted to be working with local partners on this crucial project, and we would like to congratulate Amy on her fantastic design.”

A major part of Newmarket Together is about tackling organised crime including drugs supply and exploitation and then long-term work to ensure residents feel safer.

That saw Suffolk Police between September 2024 and September 2025, arrest 55 people for drug dealing and associated crime. Many of those are now serving prison sentences with these totalling 35 years.

Insp Scott, said: “Dangerous criminals who exploit some our community’s most vulnerable have been removed from our streets. This sends a clear message to those coming here who want to bring their criminality into our town. This enforcement has been backed up by high-visibility police patrols and assistance from partner agencies and community support to ensure the town remains a safe and pleasant place for those that live, work and visit here. This does not mean we will stop going after criminals or being a visible presence in the town.”

Newmarket Together is being delivered in line with the three-phase Clear, Hold, Build initiative developed by the Home Office. Suffolk Police led the first Clear and Hold phases while West Suffolk Council is the lead authority for the Build Stage.

Newmarket Together is also about building support for people to try to stop organised crime returning to the town.

Some of that work is already being happening through Newmarket Charitable Foundation which has received funding support including £1000 each from the West Suffolk Council locality budgets of Cllr Rachel Hood, Cllr Charlie Lynch and Cllr Michael Anderson. The foundation has also received Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Serious Violence Duty Funding (administered through Suffolk Community Foundation) and Safer Streets Funding.

Over the past four months Newmarket Charitable Foundation has worked to deliver:

1. A Youth Hub providing a safe accessible space for young people.
2. One-to-one sessions helping support and build confidence in young people in a variety of ways.
3. Outreach work to ensure it connects with as many young people as possible and strengthens relationships.

Going forward, Newmarket Charitable Foundation will continue to operate The Youth Hub to maintain a welcoming environment for young people aged from seven–17, including neurodiverse individuals. Through investment in equipment and structured activities, it is helping to build trust, encourage participation, and provide a consistent safe space for social connection and informal support.

The project will also further build strong working relationships with Newmarket Academy and supported living providers, leading to identified referrals, invitations for ongoing in-school support, and future collaborative work. Through this, the charitable foundation says it is positioning the Youth Hub as a trusted local resource for early support, safeguarding, and prevention work.

Josh from the foundation said: “This project has shown just how powerful early, relational youth work can be. By creating a safe, inclusive space and combining it with targeted one-to-one support, we are already seeing young people rebuild confidence, re-engage with education, and begin to see positive futures for themselves. We’re proud of the foundations that have been laid and grateful to our partners and funders for making this work possible.”

Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: “I am pleased to support 'Newmarket Together' through the Serious Violence Duty and Safer Streets funding. This Clear, Hold, Build project brings together the whole community to make Newmarket an even safer place for residents and visitors alike. I am particularly pleased to see the school getting involved - well done to Amy for capturing the true spirit of the project in her design. I wholeheartedly support this multi-agency approach and am particularly keen to assist through our PCC commissioning fund in the 'build' part of this important initiative now that we have reached that stage in the project.”

Under Newmarket Together, the Icewell Hill area of the town could also be regenerated. Bromford Flagship has consulted on a draft masterplan for its Rowley Drive scheme and is currently working through the consultation feedback and looking at the next steps for the project which is designed to improve housing in the area and with it the health and wellbeing of residents.

Newmarket Together follows the three-phase Clear, Hold, Build innovative framework, developed by the Home Office, to help police forces tackle serious and organised crime. It reclaims and rebuilds neighbourhoods affected by organised crime, makes areas safer and increases public confidence in the police and partner agencies. For more see the Suffolk Police website.

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