The Black Onyx programme have received £10,350 from the Commissioner’s Community Safety Fund for the initiative which is due to start in September.
The programme will work with around young people aged 10 to 18 who may be vulnerable to anti-social behaviour, criminal exploitation, violence or negative peer influence.
Delivered by Black Onyx Academy in partnership with The Foundry CIC, it combines a range of interventions designed to build confidence, resilience and positive decision-making.
These include:
- Operation Mindset workshops, led by military veterans, focusing on resilience, leadership, communication and self-discipline.
- R.I.S.E. (Resilience, Integrity, Strength, Excellence) sessions, which promote positive masculinity, belonging and emotional resilience.
- S.A.L.T. (Save A Life Today) workshops, providing knife crime awareness, conflict reduction and emergency life-saving skills.
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) from across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent were asked to bid into a pot of £100,000 to seek funding for projects and initiatives aimed at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
CSPs are formed of partners including Police, Fire & Rescue, local authorities, health partners and the probation service. They have a statutory duty to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in their communities.
Councillor Duncan Walker, cabinet member for safe and resilient communities and housing at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We know that early intervention can make a real difference in helping young people make positive choices and avoid becoming involved in crime or anti-social behaviour.
“This is a really positive initiative giving young people the opportunity to build confidence, resilience and self-belief, while developing important skills that can help them make better decisions and reach their full potential.
“We’re pleased to support Black Onyx Academy and its partners with delivering this programme, which takes a preventative approach to tackling some of the issues that can have a lasting impact on young people, their families and our communities.”
Stoke-on-Trent CSP also received an additional £12,000 from the Commissioner which will be used to address priorities set during regular city-wide problem-solving meetings.
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Ben Adams said: “Supporting young people before problems escalate is key to building safer communities and preventing future crime.
“This project will equip young people with the skills, confidence and resilience they need to make positive choices, while also helping to tackle some of the issues that matter most to local communities, including anti-social behaviour, knife crime and violence.”
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.
To read more about the Commissioner’s Community Safety fund, visit: Local Community Safety Fund.