£250,000 Seized from Criminals Available
Gwent based community projects will be able to apply to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for a share of £250,000 in cash seized from criminals and from the sale of unclaimed found property for 2017-18.
From 9am today (Thursday December 1st), Gwent PCC Jeff Cuthbert's Partnership Fund will be open again for bids from charities, voluntary organisations and community groups involved in activities that have a positive impact on their communities whilst at the same time contributing towards delivering the Commissioner's priorities. The closing date for applications is 4pm on Friday 27th January 2017.
Each group will be able to apply for between £250 up to £10,000 from the £250,000 available and will need to demonstrate how their project will deliver against the Commissioner's police and crime priorities which are:
- Crime Prevention;
- Supporting Victims;
- Community Cohesion, and;
- Dealing with Anti-social Behaviour.
Since the Partnership Fund was launched by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent three and a half years ago by the first Commissioner, nearly å£750,000 has been awarded to nearly 250 community projects across the Force area. The money has been seized from criminals who have been ordered to pay back their ill-gotten gains from activities such as organised crime and drug dealing.
Specifically for 2017-18, the fund is aimed primarily towards projects that focus on crime prevention, community cohesion (communities working together / groups from or working with ethnic minorities) and protecting vulnerable people (e.g. mental health / disability / the elderly or children and young people).
The Commissioner is also proactively welcoming applications for projects that are delivered through the medium of Welsh or are bilingual.
Some of the projects funded this year through the previous round of the Commissioner's Partnership Fund include:
- £5,000 for the Vision of Hope Animal Assisted Therapy project in Gilwern, Monmouthshire, to buy more equipment for the farm where they support young people with substance misuse issues and ex-offenders;
- £3,000 for the Newport Street Pastors to purchase new equipment and uniforms for their volunteers so that they can continue their work on Friday and Saturday nights in being a calming influence in the streets of the city and assisting vulnerable people to make their way home safe;
- £500 for the Messy Fingers nursery in Cwmbran to buy new toys and equipment after they lost everything when Coed Eva Primary School in the town was burnt down in an arson attack earlier this year;
- £1,200 for BRfm, a local community Radio station in Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent, to establish an intergenerational communications centre for local news;
- £1,000 for RecRock in Caerphilly to enable young people aged 11-25 who attend the club to purchase equipment and work towards an "open mike" performance evening where they can develop and showcase their skills.
Urging community groups to apply, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, said: "I know that small amounts of funding can often make a big difference to people's lives and can sometimes be the catalyst which can help small community projects to develop, grow and help even more people The Partnership Fund is a fantastic way of putting money we have seized from criminals back into the public purse so it can be used for positive community action. Under this round I am specifically looking to fund projects which primarily focus on crime prevention, community cohesion and the protection of vulnerable people. My message is simple- if you've got a project in mind which meets the criteria - I definitely want to hear from you."
The electronically downloadable application form and accompanying guidance notes for applicants are available on the Gwent PCC website by clicking here .
Hard copies can also be obtained by emailing the Commissioner's office directly on pccpartnershipfund@gwent.pnn.police.uk or calling 01633 642 200. The closing date for receipt of the application form is 4pm on Friday 27th January 2017