Over £208,000 to innovative projects from the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund

39 groups collected cheques of up to £6000 at the event with the money being earmarked for innovative community safety projects across West Yorkshire.

3rd March 2022

A total of £208,254.93 in grants are heading to make a difference in communities near you.

The funding was distributed this week by Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire at an awards evening at Dewsbury Minster for her Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund.

39 groups collected cheques of up to £6000 at the event with the money being earmarked for innovative community safety projects across West Yorkshire.

These projects will address at least one of the cross-cutting themes within the soon to be released Police and Crime Plan. Those themes are, keeping women and girls safe, diversity, equality, and inclusion, and early intervention and prevention.

Funded projects include:

  • Neesie Community Interest Company in Bradford for their empowerment and upskilling project to support single mums.
  • Halifax Street Angels who will be operating on Friday and Saturday evenings to meet the needs of those who have become vulnerable on a night out, as well as targeting drink spiking.
  • Fearless People in Kirklees, will deliver support and diversionary activities for 8 to 18 year-olds on a Friday evening.
  • Leeds based St George's Crypt who work with homeless and vulnerable adults providing immediate care and support, including hot food, clothing, emergency crisis accommodation and a drug and alcohol programme with recovery housing.
  • Family Fit Yorkshire CIC in Wakefield to deliver 8 x 6 week courses of boxercise strength, fitness and confidence sessions to females aged 12+.

Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “I was absolutely delighted to be able to launch this fund and allocate such a large amount of money to good causes, especially in such challenging times.

“One of my key pledges as the Mayor of West Yorkshire is to improve the safety of women and girls, and I am very pleased to see so many projects delivering in that area, making a real difference to people’s lives in our communities.

“This funding specifically supports voluntary, community groups, charities and partners, who are often at the frontline and don’t always get the recognition or support they deserve. I hope that these grants go some way to countering that.

“The fund is financed with monies recovered from criminals by West Yorkshire Police and Prosecutors under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), so a massive thank you to them for all their hard work and ensuring crime doesn’t pay.”

Chief Constable John Robins QPM said: “Criminals often prey on and profit from the most vulnerable in society, so it is excellent to see money confiscated under POCA being reinvested back in those very communities. I am sure the money will really help these groups who do so much valuable work in their local area.”

To find out more about the funded projects visit https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/policing-and-crime/mayor-s-safer-communities-fund/successful-applications/