New projects addressing childhood trauma and lack of opportunity will soon get underway across the force area thanks to fresh investment by Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews.
The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC has selected 16 organisations to benefit from grants in the second round of his Commissioner’s Safety Fund to support efforts to tackle the root causes of crime and anti-social behaviour.
The PCC recently unveiled his second Police and Crime Plan, vowing to do whatever it takes to protect people from being drawn into crime as part of a wider mission to build safe and prosperous communities.
Adopting a ‘prevention over cure’ strategy, the PCC has pledged to seek out and commission services that help residents, especially young people, thrive while empowering communities to take ownership of local problems and work together to design solutions.
In addition to the first tranche of funding last year, Mr Matthews has now allocated Hinckley Homeless Group with £9,746k for a service based at Lawrence House, Hinckley, specialising in youth homelessness. The funding will cover the salary of a project worker to undertake initial risk assessments with young people and one-to-one sessions as well as develop project plans to help them become more independent.
Registered charity After 18, based in Leicester, has received £10k towards supporting unaccompanied children and young people who have arrived in the UK without their families to seek asylum. The grant will fund a twice-weekly educational drop-in facility in the city centre for the next 12 months.
In further support, the Commissioner has provided funding worth £10k to Root and Branch Out CIC to deliver therapeutic forest school activities in Rutland for children and young people who have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse. The activities focus on emotional healing, self-regulation, and fostering a connection with nature, allowing children to express their emotions, engage in creative play, and build self-confidence.
Announcing the grants, Mr Matthews said: “I’m really pleased with the breadth of the projects we are supporting in this round and the emphasis being placed on building resilience.
“There’s overwhelming evidence that trauma in childhood can have dire consequences on future life chances, increasing the risk of a whole range of health and socio-economic problems. This doesn’t have to be the case, however, and if we intervene early and take action to mitigate the impact of these experiences, we can set young people on a safer course before their behaviour manifests into crime. This is one of the primary goals of this funding.
“Through the Commissioner’s Safety Fund, we’ve significantly expanded youth provision across the entire force area, which is exactly what residents have asked for. I will continue to support our communities in every way possible to reduce vulnerability and give people the stepping stones they need to stay safe and thrive.”
As part of his investment in youth diversionary activities, the PCC has allocated Golden Token CIC with £10k to support activities provided by Rowlatts Hill Youth Club to address mental health issues, substance misuse, violent crime and unemployment among young people aged 13-25. The grant will provide digital and creative media workshops, CV and employability workshops, language classes for refugees, a healthy relationships programme, sports activities and workshops on knife crime and online safety.
Elsewhere, Leicester Combat Academy has successfully bid for £10k to deliver three one-hour boxing and fitness sessions each week, accommodating up to 50 young men from minority communities over the next 12 months.
For the full list of successful applicants, visit: https://www.leics.pcc.police.uk/CSF-2024-2025/#Round2General.
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Posted on Monday 12th May 2025