Community groups invited to apply for share of £200,000 of crime prevention funding.
Matthew Barber (Police & Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley) has opened the first round of this year’s Community Fund, with a particular focus on supporting projects that tackle anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime.
The Community Fund, jointly managed by the Police & Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable, helps to prevent crime and keep communities safe. Money for the scheme is created from the proceeds from the sale of items seized from criminals that cannot be returned to their rightful owners.
On today’s announcement, Matthew said: “I’m pleased to announce that the first round of the Community Fund for this year is open for applications. A total of £200,000 of grant funding is available for community and voluntary groups to apply for, with the aim of supporting my Police and Crime Plan in order to reduce crime across Thames Valley.
“In the Thames Valley, we are fortunate to have an active community who play a significant role in supporting us to tackle local issues around crime prevention and supporting vulnerable groups.
“I have had the pleasure of visiting a number of previously-funded organisations, seeing first-hand the positive impact funding received through my Community Fund has had within our communities.
“I look forward to receiving applications which support a range of areas within my Police and Crime Plan, particularly those which are focused on tackling anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime within our communities.”
Organisations from across the Thames Valley can apply for a grant of up to £10,000 for projects that support one of the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan priorities:
· Protecting Communities (including anti-social behaviour and road safety)
· Protecting People (including domestic abuse and the night-time economy)
· Protecting Property (including cybercrime and fraud and retail crime)
For this round of the Community Fund, there will be a focus on awarding grant funding applications to projects which support work to tackle anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime across Thames Valley.
Jason Hogg, Chief Constable for Thames Valley Police, said: “The Community Fund provides an opportunity for community and voluntary groups to apply for funding in support of projects that contribute to our policing priorities in the Thames Valley.
“Being able to use this money to support projects who are working in support of our communities is a real privilege.
“In this round of the Community Fund, myself and the PCC will focus on awarding funding to projects which tackle anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime within our communities.
“This funding ensures that organisations can continue to run essential projects which play an important role in preventing crime and protecting our communities.”
The closing date for this round of applications is 12pm (noon) on Monday 24th February 2024 and applications will be considered jointly by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and the Chief Constable.
Successful applicants will be invited to attend a presentation event, hosted by the Police & Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable, in April.
Further information, including a link to the application form and guidance document, can be found at: www.thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/community-fund.
