Youth workers share £110,000 in grants to prevent knife crime and violence

Crime-fighting community groups are set to share more than £110,000 in funding to support their anti-violence prevention work with young people.

Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach said that 12 organisations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland had successfully applied for grants as part of his Prevention Fund.

The cash, which is being distributed in grants of up to £9,999pa and between £10,000 and £25,000pa,  will be used to fund projects working directly with young people at risk of committing crime and violence, equipping them with vital personal skills and building their self-confidence to improve their future employability.

The PCC recently received £347,000 from the Home Office’s Early Intervention Youth Fund to deliver proactive intervention work with young people and has decided to make some of this available through his existing Prevent Fund arrangements, under ‘The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Prevention Fund - Early Intervention’ programme.

Willy Bach said: “Competition was tough and it was a challenge to choose between the many applications we received. Twelve organisations made the final list and we are really excited about the impact they will make on young people and their futures.

“Not every young person has the same opportunities and support as their peers for a number of reasons. These young people are the most vulnerable in our society and need external help and support to develop goals and channel their time into positive activities. This funding will do just that by empowering our communities to support and care for these young people, develop their talents and prevent escalation of their problems so that crime or violence is not so appealing.”

The Prevention Fund – Early Intervention is targeted towards projects working with young people who are either already offending, or on the cusp of offending, and favours initiatives which promote mentorship-style relationships.  

The fund is split into two tiers depending on the project size, however to support as many initiatives as possible the PCC has only awarded grants in excess of £10,000 in exceptional cases.

Applicants from a host of grassroots organisations, community groups and schools with Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland applied.

The PCC, who will monitor the results of each project, has prioritised initiatives which:  

  • Improve attitudes, thinking and behaviour
  • Increase access to employment, education and training
  • Improve mental wellbeing
  • Reduce or manage substance misuse
  • Improve relationships with family members

Delivery of the projects will commence as soon as possible.

ENDS

Media enquiries:  Sallie Blair 01283 821012


Organisation name

Name of project

Location

Project brief

Funding year 1

Creative Futures Midlands C.I.C

Lookin' Up!

New Parks

This will be an extension of the existing project ‘Smart Start’ and this funding will help to deliver 14 four hour sessions over 8 months. This will be run by lead practitioner Liam who will be supported by an assistant and 4 visiting experts. The project involves mentoring by those with shared experiences who have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs.

 

£9,880.00

Tall Ships Youth Trust

Sailing Beyond Expectations

Leicestershire

To support 10 young people aged 12-25 who are either offending or at risk of offending. The objectives of this project are to equip the young people with the self-esteem/skills necessary to realise their potential, improve their attitude, thinking and behaviour and prevent them from turning to crime. This will be through a four night sailing trip where the young people will have to work as a team in a unique/challenging situation.

 

£8,440.00

City of Leicester ABC

Champion Spirit

Leicester

To deliver three extra boxing classes per week to young people. These sessions will focus on delivering the contender am-box programme pioneered by the Metropolitan Police in their battle to tackle gang and knife crime. There will also be a 1-2-1 element of coaching and advising/signposting attendees so they can receive help with any difficulties.

 

£14,800.00

Iconic Music, Drama and Dance Ltd (Social Enterprise)

Stop The Hurt - Turn the Spotlight on Knife Crime Project

Leicester

Using the performing arts participants will develop valuable skills such as decision making, problem-solving and non-violence conflict resolution techniques. 20 NEET young people will be engaged with to turn the spotlight on knife crime and the devastating effect it has on victims, families, perpetrators and society.

 

£9,793.00

Leicester Sporting Futures

KB in the Community

Leicester

The project will deliver and outreach, engagement and capacity-building programme to engage at least 10 local community groups/clubs. There will be a capacity/skills analysis of the organisation, its volunteers, staff and participants, and help the group develop a robust prevention approach to knife crime. The aim of this 12 month programme is to guide those groups so that they can continue to deliver informed prevention activities independently.

 

£9,320.00

Pedestrian

Positive Choices

City Wide, targeting Castle, Eyres Monsell, Saffron, Abbey, Spinney Hills, Freeman, New Parks, Western Park, Beaumont Leys Wards

Positive Choices has two key strands, prevention focussed intervention and future-focussed positive engagement and mentoring, delivered within intensive week-long programmes for young people currently involved in or at high risk of knife crime via Leicester City YOS.

 

£7,300.00

Knighton Mead Primary Academy

Boxing to Break the Cycle

Pupils of Knighton Mead from the surrounding area

 

 

 

This project will provide a positive role model or mentor who will relate to our most at risk pupils and open their eyes to other possibilities of how they could live their lives and what their future could be. The school/coach will run one session a week, after school for an hour.  An accredited, vetted coach would be used to deliver this session and a member of school staff would remain watching the session to ensure it is of the quality and is delivering the outcomes we wish for.

 

£1,139.50

Zinthiya Trust

Young People Employment and Skill Project

Leicester

Participants on the programme will be enrolled on a 4 week work placement that will cut across various sectors such as catering and hospitality, retail and customer service, office administration, social media, community media reporting and community development to encourage and stimulate the experience and keep them engaged in the programme.

 

£9,700.00

The Baca Charity

Leaving Care Project

All the young people we work with live in Loughborough, having been placed by eight Local Authorities in the Midlands, including Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland Local Authorities.

If the young people receive a positive decision on their leave to remain in the UK application, the next step is moving on from Baca. This step is challenging for the young people, both emotionally and practically. As part of this project Baca will create a new ‘Leaving Care’ support worker role who will become an advocate for the young person leaving care and will guide them on a 1:1 basis to help them navigate the benefits and social housing application process.

Also Baca will be expanding the existing ‘Education Coordinator” role by 10 hours per week, they will work 1:1 with  young people to ensure they have opportunities to learn new skills through accessing work-experience, traineeships, apprenticeships, or even additional educational support at Baca.

 

£9,863.00

Unit 66 and Youth Community Development

Box-Well for Health, Fitness and Well-Being (Knife, Gang, ASB, Drug Crime Reduction and Youth & Community Development)

Leicester

This project will deliver boxing, kickboxing and MMA sessions in a safe MMA and boxing gym environment in the Spinney Hills area of Leicester. Sessions will be delivered 4 times a week, with more sessions added if necessary. Sessions involve mentoring the participants in the development of their lives, focusing on particular personal, social and mental aspects. Such aspects will include developing and building positive relationships with family and peers, education and employment prospects, crime and antisocial behaviour prevention, intervention, focusing on alcohol & drug awareness, gang & knife/weapon crime awareness and reduction.

 

£9,999.00

Northfield and District Play Association

Playbarn Youth Project

Northfields, Hamiltion, Thurnby Lodge, Nether hall, Rushey Mead and Belgrave

The aim of the project is to provide a safe and engaging environment off the streets where young people can come and enjoy themselves, with a main focus on; socialising, informal education, fun and engaging physical activities, life skills, inclusivity. There will be two youth sessions a week (Monday and Friday) with two youth workers and two volunteers.

 

£9,999.00

Youth Educations Projects and Opal 22 Arts and Edutainment

HEART Not Knives - The Story of Shaka!

Leicester

This project will recreate the story of Shaka! Funding will go towards the production of an open air theatre show to tell the story inspired by Shaka Zulu, the illegitimate African Prince as his life has many parallels to modern day families living in the UK. This will act as a diversion for 10-15 at risk children who will work with experienced directors, script writers and set designers with each of these mentoring the young people throughout the project.

 

£9,095.00

 

Posted on Friday 15th November 2019