Why a Huddersfield Man Was Chosen to Launch the NeighbourGood Café Tour

Knowing who lives next door used to be a given. People would pop round for a cup of sugar, take in parcels, or just have a natter over the garden fence. And it turns out, that simple connection does more than just make a street feel friendly – it makes it feel safer. A new initiative is brewing in Yorkshire, aiming to bring that spirit back, all with the promise of a free hot drink. A local hero from Huddersfield is at the front of it all, launching a nationwide tour that blends modern tech with good old-fashioned neighbourliness to tackle crime and boost community spirit.

A cuppa for community safety in Leeds

Imagine your favourite local café. Now, imagine it's a pop-up hub for making your entire neighbourhood a safer place. That's the idea behind the ‘NeighbourGood Café Tour’. It’s a team-up between the smart home security company Ring and the independent charity Crimestoppers. They're travelling across the UK throughout 2026, turning coffee shops into places where neighbours can connect and chat about safety. The first stop? Right here in Leeds. The whole idea is simple: building stronger, more connected communities is one of the best ways to improve security for everyone's home. When people know each other, they look out for each other. This cool event is designed to kickstart those conversations. All residents from across Yorkshire can head down to the North Star Coffee Shop on the Boulevard in Leeds city centre on Friday 27th March, between 10am and 5pm. There'll be complimentary coffee and a chance to meet the people behind the project, including a local man who has a pretty amazing story to tell. It’s all about creating a stronger community, one brew at a time.

How one man from Huddersfield started a movement

The story behind this new tour starts with one person deciding to make a change. After retiring and moving to a new home in Huddersfield, David Collins realised his property had no security devices. He spotted a deal on some Ring cameras and installed four of them. He probably didn't expect them to be put to the test so quickly. But late one night, his new cameras picked up three intruders creeping through a hedge from a neighbouring property. The footage was incredibly clear; so clear, in fact, that one of the intruders pointed straight at the camera. This crucial bit of evidence helped the police identify him, and within six weeks, all three were caught and prosecuted. That experience was a wake-up call for David. It showed him just how powerful good home security could be. But it also made him think about the bigger picture: the community. He decided to organise a Neighbourhood Watch group. It started small, but as word spread, more and more neighbours joined, many of them also getting Ring devices to boost their own safety and contribute to the collective security of the area.

David, who is now Ring's first ‘Community Champion’, explained how it all snowballed. “If it hadn't been for the Ring cameras picking up the intruders, I would never have set up the Neighbourhood Watch group. Everyone in the group started getting cameras, and it’s grown from there. We now have over 250 members, which is incredible.” He's now hoping to share his story at the NeighbourGood Café event in Leeds to inspire other residents to do the same.

It's not just about the gadgets

While having a smart camera or a video doorbell is a great step for home security, the people behind the NeighbourGood project reckon it's only half the story. The real magic happens when that technology is combined with a strong community. And it seems like people in Yorkshire agree. A recent study by Ring found some pretty interesting things about how we feel about our neighbourhood. The research, which was conducted between 19.02.2026 and 26.02.2026, showed that connection is key.

• A massive 75% of residents in Yorkshire believe a street where neighbours know each other and chat regularly feels safer.

• Over a third (35%) said that the best way to prevent crime was a mix of knowing their neighbours and having security cameras.

• Almost three-quarters (73%) would share suspicious footage from their home security cameras with their neighbours.

• Similarly, 71% are confident their neighbours would let them know if they spotted something unusual happening at their property while they were away.

These numbers show that technology isn't replacing human connection; it's actually helping it. People are using their smart devices to look out for the entire community, creating a digital version of the traditional neighbourhood watch. The NeighbourGood initiative is all about encouraging more of that cooperative spirit.

What the experts say

The collaboration between Ring and the charity Crimestoppers is a perfect match. One brings the tech, the other brings decades of experience in empowering communities to fight crime anonymously. Gemma Gibbs, the Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Manager at Crimestoppers, put it perfectly. “Community safety works best when neighbours look out for each other," she said. “The NeighbourGood Café Tour creates the perfect environment for those conversations to happen naturally. Our charity is proud to collaborate with Ring to help communities in Leeds and across the UK to connect, share knowledge, and take practical steps to keep their neighbourhoods safe.” It’s about creating an atmosphere where sharing information for the greater good feels normal and easy.

And from the tech side, the sentiment is the same. Dave Ward, a Managing Director at Ring, commented:

“The best home security isn't just about technology, it's about neighbours who genuinely know each other. A cup of coffee and a conversation might sound simple, but that's exactly how David's community group started. We want our NeighbourGood Café to be the beginning of something lasting - like neighbours exchanging numbers, setting up group chats and keeping an eye out for each other, long after we've left town.”

Fancy a free coffee in Leeds?

The NeighbourGood Café Tour is more than just a one-off event. After its launch in Leeds on Friday 27th March, it will be heading to other cities across the UK, including Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Cardiff. And in each place it visits, the tour will support a local community charity with a donation of £1,000 worth of Ring devices, helping a good cause improve its own security. For residents in Yorkshire, this is a brilliant chance to pop down for a free coffee, meet some new people from the local area, and pick up some tips on making the whole neighbourhood feel a bit safer and more connected. It’s a simple idea with a big goal: to build stronger, safer communities from the ground up. And it all starts with a friendly chat. What a great reason to get together.