Three projects aimed at preventing anti-social behaviour, supporting vulnerable young people and improving community safety in East Staffordshire have secured a total of £20,000 through the Commissioner’s Community Safety Fund.
The initiatives are set to provide positive activities, early intervention support and targeted outreach for young people at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour or crime.
Projects that have received a share of the funding in East Staffordshire include:
- The Warehouse Project indoor skatepark, including weekly instructor-led sessions for young people as part of diversionary activity in Burton-on-Trent.
- The MPWR group, who will provide mobile gym sessions to vulnerable young people across the borough.
- Street Whyze’s “Connect – Early Action” project will provide a targeted early intervention programme for vulnerable young people, offering one-to-one support to bridge gaps between school, home and the community.
The Commissioner’s Community Safety Fund supports projects and initiatives which focus on addressing local crime and community safety priorities in Staffordshire.
£10,000 (£20,000 for Stoke-on-Trent) funding is allocated to each of the nine Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) operating across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, each made up of representatives from the Police, local authorities, the Fire & Rescue Service, health and the Probation Service.
Each partnership is also given the opportunity to bid in to an extra pot of £100,000 made available to all CSPs through the Community Safety Fund. East Staffordshire CSP successfully bid for a further £10,000 to invest in targeted activity by Streetwhyze.
Staffordshire Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams said: “This funding will help deliver practical support for young people across East Staffordshire and provide positive activities that can prevent anti-social behaviour and reduce the risk of future offending.
“By investing in trusted local organisations that understand the challenges facing our communities, we can intervene earlier, support those most at risk and help create safer, stronger neighbourhoods for everyone.”
Alongside funding allocated to CSPs, the Commissioner’s Community Safety Fund also includes:
- £10,000 awarded to each of the 10 Local Policing Teams in Staffordshire to address priorities set by the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
- £180,000 contribution towards the Staffordshire Space Programme which funds activities for children over the summer holidays.
- £200 towards the cost of Independent Chairs for ASB Case Reviews on request.
- A statutorily required annual Strategic Assessment, supporting a comprehensive understanding of crime and community safety in the local area.
Cllr Simon Slater at East Staffordshire Borough Council, said: “The funding will ensure our young people get the right support and opportunities when it is needed most.
“Early intervention activities and programmes make a real difference to young people, their families and the wider local community across the borough.”
To read more about the Commissioner’s Community Safety fund, visit: Local Community Safety Fund.