Police Property Act Fund
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE POLICE COMMISSIONER FOR MERSEYSIDE
For immediate release
£45,000 released to keep young people safe over autumn half term
Community groups which work to divert young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour during the busy autumn half-term are being invited to bid for a small cash boost, thanks to Merseyside’s Police Commissioner.
Jane Kennedy has announced that she releasing a new round of funding from the Police Property Act Fund (PPA), which allows money raised from the sale of unclaimed stolen goods or property recovered by the police to be used for good causes.
It is the tenth time the Commissioner has asked community organisations, charities and groups to apply for grants of up to £5,000 for grassroots initiatives which are working to help young people to make the right choices. A total of £45,000 is available from the fund for one-off grants for organisations which are committed to improving community safety, reducing crime or supporting victims.
Jane has already awarded nearly £378,000 through the PPA to organisations that are making a difference in their communities. Since July 2015, the fund has been used to concentrate on youth engagement initiatives. Last year, funding was awarded to 23 community groups enabling more than 7,500 young people take part in fun, safe, organised activities over the Halloween and Bonfire Night period.
Jane said: "I am pleased to once again be able to open up the Police Property Act Fund for bids of up to £5,000 to organisations which are working to make their communities safer and better places to live by engaging with young people.
“Halloween and Bonfire Night are a time of fun and excitement for many people across Merseyside, but sometimes the fun can get out of hand and sadly some communities still do experience a rise in criminal and anti-social behaviour during this holiday. Historically, it is a particularly busy time for the police and the fire service.
“Through these grants, I want to help alleviate these issues and prevent local young people from making mistakes they may regret in the future. Once a young person gets a criminal record it can blight their future prospects. By using these grants to fund a wide range of fun, safe, organised activities I hope we can help to prevent young people from getting drawn into any activities which could become intimidating, anti-social or even dangerous to other members of the community.
“These projects will support the excellent diversionary work carried out by Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, ensuring that young people can enjoy the autumn festivities in a safe and enjoyable way which is properly supervised.”
Jane added: “Local people know their communities best. They know what works when engaging with their young people and I am looking forward to reviewing their ideas and initiatives for ensuring everyone can have a safe and fun Halloween.”
The PPA fund is administered by the Community Foundation for Merseyside, (CFM) on behalf of the Commissioner. CFM holds funds from individuals and organisations as donors who wish to support deserving causes in Merseyside.
All applications must be submitted online via the Community Foundation for Merseyside by 4pm on 30th August 2019.
Please visit their website http://www.cfmerseyside.org.uk/funds/police-property-act-fund to apply.