Police Commissioner releases £1.35M investment in crime prevention

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has announced £1.35million in crime prevention grant funding for charities, councils and third-sector organisations working in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.

Underscoring her pledge to cut crime, the Safer Communities Fund is one of the Commissioner’s most ambitious grant funding rounds to date. The vital funding has been made available to support frontline policing and transform neighbourhoods to make Hampshire and Isle of Wight safer.

The Safer Communities Fund has a track record of supporting local projects which have helped turn the lives around of repeat offenders; created safer places for young people to thrive and delivered innovative projects to reduce violence against women and girls through education, intervention and investment.

Now, the PCC is inviting new applications for projects focused on serious violence, child exploitation, crimes affecting women and girls, reducing offending, and anti-social behaviour. The application window is open from today (1 April 2025) to 15 May 2025 for funding to start on 1 October 2025.

PCC Donna Jones said: “I’ve seen first-hand how investment in grass roots projects transform lives. A young person given the right support can turn away from crime. A victim of abuse can rebuild their future with the right support. Communities blighted by anti-social behaviour can regain their sense of safety and pride in their neighbourhood.

“This funding aims to deliver real change where it’s needed most in our region. I’m calling on the very best of our frontline organisations to apply and be a part of one of my biggest ever grant funding opportunities to date.”

To apply, organisations must be a member of the Police Commissioner’s Funding Network at Funding Network – Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner

What is the Safer Communities Fund?

The PCC provides funding to projects or interventions that support victims, reduce offending, and protect the vulnerable from crime and exploitation.

In the Police Commissioner’s previous Safer Communities funding round three years ago, key areas included preventing youth crime, violence against women and girls, and reducing reoffending. In its first year, 44 projects were funded, with 43 funded in the second year, and 37 in the third year.