A Hammerwich-based horse riding school is teaching youngsters crucial life skills as part of community safety work funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis.
Gartmore Riding School has been awarded a £2,810 grant from the Commissioner’s People Power Fund.
The school, which is located in Hall Lane, near Burntwood, works with young people, some of whom have disabilities or are from vulnerable backgrounds, from across Staffordshire.
As well as being taught how to ride, youngsters taking part in the People and Horse Power scheme learn tasks such as preparing tack and cleaning the stables with many returning to volunteer after their lessons finish.
Mr Ellis said: “By providing more money than ever before to spend on the ground, in local communities, we have seen new ideas to cut crime and anti-social behaviour, helping make local people safer and importantly, helping them feel safer.
“Schemes like this involve young people in positive activities and teach them vital skills which will help them later in life. It’s a positive programme that goes beyond learning how to ride and helps young people become responsible citizens – which is crucial to keeping communities safe.”
As part of his commitment to local communities, the Commissioner is providing £500,000 in 2014/15 through the People Power Fund in the form of grants of between £100 and £3,000.
The fund is supporting locally-driven community safety activities in communities throughout Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Tracy Francis, from Gartmore Riding School, said: “The People and Horse Power scheme is a brilliant opportunity for young people to visit a riding school who may have never thought of taking part in a riding activity. “The young people have experienced some life learning skills – such as listening and being able to follow instructions, particularly when working as a team where they are required to care for a horse in the stable management activities and when riding in the equitation sessions.”
The People Power Fund is part of £2.5 million Mr Ellis is providing to local areas for 2014/15. The Commissioner’s Locality Deal Fund goes to local district and borough councils to help make their area safer. Meanwhile, the Commissioner’s Proceeds of Crime Fund is seeing Staffordshire Police put 100 per cent of money, raised from seized criminal assets, go back into local communities through grants of between £3,000 and £15,000.
The window for the next round of applications for People Power Funding is open now and runs until Sunday 14 September.
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.
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
Successful projects 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.
