Sharon is the owner of two Doncaster pubs, the White Swan and the French Gate. She has been the Chair of Doncaster Pubwatch for the last 7 years.
She is described as being the backbone of her local scheme and has managed to bring together all nine separate schemes in the Doncaster area by forming a regional group with a standard information sharing agreement.
She is specifically praised for her commitment to work with other stakeholders to address the issue of violent crime, as Doncaster was identified by the Home Office in the early 2000’s as a violent crime hotspot. But she has also championed a multi-agency approach; with the setting up of a Safe Space initiative; the relaunch of Best Bar None; and support for their local Street Pastors.
Her nomination is supported by Andrew Steele, the police licensing officer and Richard Mirfin the town centre Sergeant. Both highlighted the effectiveness of Doncaster Pubwatch and the role that Sharon and the members play in providing safe and responsibly managed venues. They stated that she is committed and passionate about the Pubwatch scheme.
Stephen Butler, the Doncaster Town Centre Pubwatch Coordinator said:
“Sharon ensures that Doncaster Town Centre Pubwatch operates to National Pubwatch good practice advice. As an ex-Police Sergeant with Yorkshire Police I can say that her relationship with the police is second to none and she and her members are keen to assist wherever possible”.
Lastly Rod Morrison, the Doncaster Street Pastors Coordinator said:
“From the time she took over as Chair of Doncaster Pubwatch, Sharon Fiddler has been a staunch supporter of Doncaster Street Pastors. She has ensured that the Doncaster Street Pastor Initiative has been an equal partner with Doncaster Pubwatch, and has always publicly expressed her support for our work. Under her chairmanship of Pubwatch and with the strong support of Steve Butler as Pubwatch Coordinator, we have always had a voice at Pubwatch meetings and a slot on the agenda. Sharon was instrumental in persuading Doncaster Pubwatch to finance the leasing of the Street Pastor radios for a number of years.
In partnership with the Council’s Public Health team, I have worked with Sharon for some time now in trying to develop a Safe Haven in the town centre for the night-time economy. It has shown me her desire to work for a safer town centre, to enable people to enjoy coming in to town during the night time and to make it the most enjoyable experience possible for them. This is something that Sharon continually strives for, and not just through the Safe Haven initiative, but also through her passion for making sure that Doncaster Pubwatch reflects that desire”.
