Communities across Wiltshire and Swindon will benefit from nearly £40,000 in grant funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC’s) Community Action Fund.
The fund, created to help PCC Angus Macpherson meet the priorities in his police and crime plan, gives the community an opportunity to address crime and anti-social behaviour through projects which promote community safety or combat rural crime.
Five groups have been awarded grants.
Mr Macpherson said: “As Commissioner I want to understand what is important to the local community and involve them in policing.
“Through this grant I have given five local community groups the opportunity to help keep their community safe and build on some of the projects that are working to support, educate and empower people to make better life choices and develop new skills to improve their prospects.
“I look forward to visiting these organisations throughout the year to see how they are getting on.”
Grants were awarded as follows(in alphabetical order):
- The Nelson Trust Women’s Centre, Swindon is being awarded £9,351.00 towards its Connect and Thrive project.
The Connect and Thrive project will use the money it receives from the Community Action Fund to establish an eight place IT suite in the Swindon Women’s Centre. Using this new facility the project will work with women who engage with the Nelson Trust. The idea is to help address issues of poor academic achievement and lack of formal qualifications by learning basic skills, acquiring qualifications and using the internet to look for jobs and training, prepare CVs and apply for jobs and stay in touch with friends and family. - Trowbridge Community Area Future is being awarded £9,524.00 towards Brighter Aspirations 14
This money will be used to fund a qualified youth worker, equipment and materials to continue the youth provision available to young people and increasing the projects presence across Trowbridge. Bright Aspirations 14 will also use the funding to recruit and train volunteers to ensure that youth provision in the area is sustainable. - Wessex Community Action is being awarded £8,552 towards Amesbury Youth Café.
The Youth Café gives young people in Amesbury a safe and dry place to meet their friends, as well as a place where youth workers and volunteers can provide information and advice on a variety of issues, including encouraging participation in other positive activities in the local area. Wessex Community Action will use this money to help continue to provide the youth cafe for young people, and to continue its outreach work to young people in Amesbury across five sites. - Wiltshire Youth for Christ is being awarded £7,366 towards a youth worker for Potterne Youth Club.
The youth club will use this money as part of its ongoing plan to continue to deliver youth services for young people in Potterne, Worton and Marston. The money will be used to fund a youth worker one day a week to plan, organise and deliver youth club sessions.
- Young Melksham is being awarded £5,000 towards itsTeen Talk counselling & listening and support service
Due to the high demand and an increase in mental health illness in young people, Young Melksham is looking to expand its Teen Talk counselling service. This money will be used to expand the service offering support to young people from the Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge areas with an increased dedicated counselling offer based in Melksham.
Thirty eight applications were received for the Community Action Fund, requesting more than £190,000.
The Commissioner, along with the Chief Executive of the Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon, considered all applications before deciding which to fund.
