By Leah Conway –
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, has opened a round of funding with the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund. The funding will provide £270,000 in grants that voluntary, community groups, charities and partners can apply for.
Each organisation can seek funding for up to £6000. The grants will go towards projects that address at least one of the themes and priorities within the Police and Crime Plan 2021-24.
Past grants have funded various projects such as boxercise classes to increase the safety and well-being of women and girls. Other projects include outdoor activities such as fishing to encourage young people away from anti-social behaviour. Another example includes recovery programmes for drug and alcohol abuse.
“Thrilled”
Tracy Brabin said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be able to open this latest grant funding opportunity to local groups who make such a massive difference in our communities. These groups often do not get the recognition they deserve, so this is one way of saying thank you.
“The fund is financed by money recovered from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act within the county by West Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit and prosecutors. So, a big shout out to them for all that hard work and in ensuring crime doesn’t pay.
“Due to their exceptional work, we can open the largest funding pot of this kind since it first launched back in 2014 under the previous PCC. That means more projects than ever before can benefit so I really would encourage anyone that qualifies to apply. The process has been designed to be very straightforward, and we have a small team ready to help should you need it.
“The fund supports the overall vision as set out in my Police and Crime Plan, of a safe, just and inclusive West Yorkshire, and I can’t wait to see who applies this time.”
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Make our neighbourhoods safer
West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable John Robins QPM, said: “We welcome the latest round of the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund. The money being made available will allow projects, groups and organisations to play a key role in the partnership response to tackling the issues that affect our communities at a grass-roots level.
“Seeing the money confiscated from criminal gangs being invested back into schemes to help prevent future offending and make our neighbourhoods safer is the right and proper thing to do.”
Applications to the fund need to be submitted by Friday 10th June at noon. Afterwards, grants will be distributed to successful applicants at an awards evening in October 2022.