Innovative crime prevention schemes get the green light after PCC approves funding of nearly half a million pounds
19 December 2023
A range of intervention projects across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to prevent crime are to get underway thanks to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s latest funding announcement.
Preventing gambling addictions, increasing street pastor patrols, more CCTV and helping people avoid scams are among the diversionary initiatives going ahead.
The Police Commissioner, Donna Jones, has announced that 25 applications who applied in the second round of her Emerging Needs Fund have been successful with a total investment of £454,081.
PCC Donna Jones said: “My priority and promise to the public is to deliver more police and to ensure safer streets so this funding round was designed to promote crime reduction, support victims and reduce the demand on frontline policing.
“This funding will empower our partners to go out and make a real difference in communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, to help prevent people from becoming victims of crime, stop crimes from happening in the first place, and reduce the reoccurence of crime.
“Earlier this year, I announced funding of nearly £84K to fight rural crime in the first round of my Emerging Needs Fund. This second round enables a further range of providers to work with me in providing safer communities that can thrive instead of being crippled by crime.”
The maximum amount of funding that could be applied for in this round of funding for either projects or items that align with the theme of crime prevention, was £25K per application.
The charity Alabaré has been awarded just over £13K to provide gambling harm prevention sessions for vulnerable and homeless young people in the Test Valley area.
Its Operations Manager for Young People is Spencer Whatmore: “We are extremely grateful for this grant from the Police and Crime Commissioner which will help fund our support for vulnerable young people at risk of harm from gambling.
“Gambling addiction is an issue that affects many young people, and along with associated debt and falls in mental wellbeing, can have a devastating impact on their lives. Equally, it is an area that many young people dabble in, and it’s vital that we give them the tools and knowledge to be able to protect themselves from the dangers it can pose.
“This funding will enable us to equip our young people through training and intervention, and ensure those who are struggling with addiction can receive the specialist support they need to stabilise and recover.”
Havant Borough Council successfully applied for £5K to provide Waterlooville Boxing Club with a new boxing ring to help divert young people away from a life of crime and develop personal strengths including self-control, resilience and discipline.
Councillor Gwen Robinson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet lead for Communities and Housing, said: “By supporting the Waterlooville Boxing Club with this funding they are able to provide the facility to help get kids off the streets, introduce self-discipline, healthy eating, competitiveness and the importance of hard work and teamwork.”
The Prince’s Trust will receive nearly £22K for its emergency services personal development programme for young people in Redbridge in Southampton designed to prevent them from committing crime or reoffending.
Sam Rae, Head of Partnerships for Bristol and South West at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We are delighted to be awarded funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Emerging Needs Fund.”
“This funding will enable the local Prince’s Trust team to continue the partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service to deliver a dynamic programme introducing young people to careers options in the emergency services.”
The full list of successful applications being funded by the second round of the Commissioner’s Emerging Needs Fund on crime prevention are:
- Unloc £24,500 – working with young people from Portsmouth with lived experience of violence to design youth-led social action projects to tackle youth violence
- Alabaré £13,170 – gambling harm prevention sessions for vulnerable and homeless young people in Test Valley
- Yellow Brick Road £24,898 – mentoring sessions for young people involved in anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Winchester
- Hatch Warren & Beggarwood Community Association in Basingstoke £13,790 – run sessions on knife crime, county lines awareness and ASB with young people who attend the youth club
- The Society of St James £25K – weekly diversionary activities across Hampshire for those involved in the criminal justice system
- The YOU Trust £25K – supporting the Dragonfly Project in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight which provides domestic abuse and stalking awareness training
- The Arukah Project £24,255 – establishing a peer support model for young adults in Portsmouth to improve emotional stability
- Southampton Street Pastors £20,680 – maintain and increase street pastor patrols in Southampton
- Catalyst Support £25K – working to prevent cuckooing in Rushmoor
- Citizens Advice Portsmouth £24,070 – helping people to avoid scams with workshops, consultations and online information
- Turnstyle £4,940 – sports and educational programme to prevent youth crime in Rushmoor
- Winchester Street Reach £10,200 – weekly targeted detached youth work in Highcliffe in Winchester
- Saints Foundation £16,361 – project in partnership with HMP Winchester supporting offenders with resettlement into Southampton
- Motiv8 South £23,125 – enhanced detached and outreach sessions in the Portsmouth area
- Southampton City Council £25K – reducing domestic abuse offending amongst young males with a Young Person’s Male Engagement Worker
- Communities First Wessex £24,536 – to benefit participants of their Positive Pathways programme in Havant which supports disengaged individuals
- Isle of Wight Youth Trust £24,702 – preventing youth crime and ASB on the Island with a practical intervention to divert young people away from crime
- Havant Borough Council £5K – new boxing ring for Waterlooville Boxing Club to help young people develop their personal strengths and divert away from violent crime
- Children’s Services at Portsmouth City Council £5K – an insight hub module to help collate data and identify risk factors for young people at risk of serious violence and exploitation
- Rowlands Castle Parish Council £1,175 – increase coverage of CCTV provision at the recreation ground
- Yellow Brick Road £7,600 – deliver interactive seminars for students in Test Valley about knife crime and youth violence
- The YOU Trust £24,900 – school intervention project to prevent youth crime on the Isle of Wight
- SoCo Music Project £24,675 – music focused creative youth provision in Southampton
- The Prince’s Trust £21,904 – emergency services-themed personal development programme for young people in Redbridge, Southampton
- Artswork £14,600 – transforming the lives of young people on the Isle of Wight through its creative Young Changemakers initiative