Youth activities set to receive £40,000 cash boost from police commissioner

Youth groups are being invited to apply for a share of a £40,000 fund to help Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Graham Bright divert youngsters away from crime.

Sir Graham’s Youth Fund is available to organisations that support his Police and Crime Plan pledges to tackle crime and disorder and promote activities which motivate young people to avoid criminal behaviour.

Grants of up to £2,000 are available to charities and community groups through the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation.

Launching the Fund, Sir Graham said: “We must not underestimate the power of local grassroots projects in transforming the lives of disadvantaged young people. These diversionary activities not only provide an immediate solution to antisocial behaviour and crime by providing an alternative focus for their attention but they also help to motivate young people in the longer term by increasing their skills, confidence and employment prospects.

“Hundreds of youngsters have already benefited from the funding and I’m determined to help even more young people channel their energies into productive activities which increase self-esteem and benefit the community. The volunteers who run these projects give their time freely to help young people carve a better future and it’s important that they receive the financial support they need to keep up the good work.

“I hope that many more organisations apply for funding this year to help us secure a better future for young people.”

A host of diversionary projects have benefited from the fund since its launch including Darwin Drive Youth Association in Arbury, Cambridge, which was able to purchase a table tennis table and organise trips and social events thanks to the funding.

Other success stories include the Garage Community Trust in Stretham which received a grant to engage six young people in a ‘bike maintenance and repair’ project and Waterlees Youth Service Providers CIC which won funding towards the running of the drop-in project at Community House in Waterlees, Wisbech.

Melbourn Groundwork Herts, Beds and Cambs received a grant to provide five half-day positive activity sessions to tackle boredom and reduce antisocial behaviour in Melbourn and surrounding villages during the half term break from school in February 2015.

A spokesperson for the organisation said “The grant has allowed Groundwork to deliver an effective and worthwhile project in Melbourn which has seen a large number of challenging, disadvantaged and at risk young people get involved in a large selection of positive activities, educational workshops and support services.”

The Commissioner’s Youth Fund provides one-off awards and is not in a position to be able to offer continuous funding although organisations can apply to the fund more than once for different projects.

Funding will be allocated according to need however applications from across Cambridgeshire will be considered individually based on their merit and how effectively they meet the Commissioner’s aim to tackle crime and disorder

The fund is raised through the sale of unclaimed and recovered stolen property in accordance with the Police Property Act 1997.

If you would like to apply to the Youth Fund visit http://www.cambscf.org.uk/pcc.html

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