Great ideas for community safety solutions come from local people – which is why Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis is inviting groups in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to bid for money from his new People Power Fund.
As part of his commitment to local communities, the Commissioner is providing £500,000 in 2014/15 through the fund in the form of grants between £100 and £3,000.
Two rounds of funding will be held, with the first opening on 1 April and closing on 14 April and the second taking place in September.
The PCC is keen to support locally-driven community safety activities in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. These could range from Good Neighbour Schemes to provide reassurance in a community, the introduction of a local club or activity for young people, through to the installation of security measures at a local community venue used by residents.
Mr Ellis said: “I have significantly increased the funding that local areas have to make their communities safer.
“The Commissioner’s People Power Fund puts half a million pounds back into local communities and is easy and simple to apply for.
“It’s about local ideas to sort out local issues like anti-social behaviour. If you’ve got a good idea, the People Power Fund may be able to help you achieve it.
“If you’re a community group with good ideas to cut crime or make your area safer go to the website now to find out more.”
People Power applications need to be sponsored by the group’s local Neighbourhood Police Officer or Police Community Support Officer. More details, including application forms and an animated video about the fund, are available now at www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/fund
The People Power Fund is one part of £2.5 million of Commissioner’s Community Funding for 2014/15.
The Commissioner’s Locality Deal Fund has allocated money to local areas through working in partnership with local councils.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner’s Proceeds of Crime Fund is seeing 100 per cent of funding received by Staffordshire Police going back into local communities, through grants of between £3,000 and £15,000. It is made up of money seized from criminals as Staffordshire Police continue to strip offenders of their assets.
Successful projects in all three funding streams will deliver what’s important to local people based on the four priorities set out in the Commissioner’s Safer, Fairer, United Communities Strategy – tackling the root causes of crime through early intervention, supporting victims and witnesses better, reducing reoffending and increasing public confidence.
