This latest investment through Commissioner Snowden’s Safer Lancashire Neighbourhood’s Fund (SLNF), sees more cash seized from criminals go back into the communities that offenders have exploited – taking the total since the fund launched in March 2022 to £1.6m.
Fifteen new projects across Lancashire are being backed through the Community-focused strand of the fund, supporting local organisations that understand their areas and help deliver the priorities in the Commissioner’s Fighting Crime Plan.
These include activity that addresses local anti-social behaviour concerns through diversionary activity and targeted interventions, support for vulnerable people and education on issues such as dangerous driving.
Another two projects are also funded through the Police Innovation strand of the SLNF, backing the force with trials of new equipment to help with the fight against crime.
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Safer Lancashire Neighbourhoods Fund has supported a huge range of initiatives aimed at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in the local community, with nearly half a century of projects funded through the Community strand alone.
Andrew Snowden, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire said:
“I’m really pleased that I have again been able to use cash taken from offenders to help make the communities they have blighted safer.
“Alongside our work seizing cash to show criminals crime will never pay here in Lancashire, this also allows us to put this money to good use protecting the public, which is exactly what my Safer Lancashire Neighbourhoods Fund is all about.
“By focusing on the root causes of offending, lessening the likelihood of people becoming victims of crime or getting involved in it themselves, we are supporting our proactive enforcement that where needed will put criminals where they should be, behind bars.
“I will continue to work closely with the Chief Constable to ensure that we are delivering on the priorities that the public tell me they want to see, punishing those who make life a misery for others and keeping Lancashire safe.”
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Community Fund:
EAST:
- Project Name: Positive Directions
- Amount Awarded: £10,000
- Area: Pendle
- Overview: Bodies in Motion in Pendle plans to create an activity room with modern gaming consoles and other activities facilitated by qualified mentors, offering sessions to young people during evenings, weekends, and school holidays to deter anti-social behaviour.
2.Project Name: Ready for Rugby
- Amount awarded: £3,507
- Area: Burnley
- Overview: Burnley Rugby Club’s project in Burnley aims to encourage young people’s participation in rugby through introductory-level sessions, diverting them from anti-social behaviour and providing opportunities for competitive sports engagement.
3. Project Name: Box Champion
- Amount awarded: £10,000
- Area: Hyndburn
- Overview: Clayton Amateur Boxing and Community Club in Hyndburn will implement the Empire Fighting Chance Box Champions program to foster a sense of belonging and discipline among participants, mitigating the risk of engaging in anti-social behavior.
4. Project Name: Anger and Emotional Awareness Programme
- Amount awarded: £10,000
- Area: Hyndburn
- Overview: Maundy Relief’s initiative in Hyndburn aims to empower young people experiencing anger issues through safe environment exploration and creative sessions, providing tools for better decision-making and behaviour choices.
5. Project Name: Young People Age 11-17 Weekly Exercise Sessions
- Amount awarded: £9,800
- Area: Blackburn with Darwen
- Overview: The Fit Mill in Blackburn with Darwen offers free fitness sessions to vulnerable boys aged 11-17, focusing on building confidence, teamwork, and collaboration to divert them from anti-social behaviour, with a multi-pronged approach addressing various community priorities.
SOUTH:
6. Project Name: Empowering Communities
- Amount awarded: £7,000
- Area: Preston
- Overview: Al-Ansaar Welfare and Education in Preston aims to empower young people through workshops and sports tournaments to divert them from anti-social engagement, fostering positive community engagement and active participation.
7. Project Name: Football Inclusion Project
- Amount awarded: £10,000
- Area: Preston
- Overview: Fishwick Rangers in Preston seeks to engage young males in football activities to deter anti-social behavior and diffuse racial tensions, offering multiple sessions weekly to foster community cohesion.
8. Project Name: Adlington Youth Group
- Amount awarded: £1,568
- Area: Chorley
- Overview: Heath Charnock Parish Council in Chorley provides weekly youth sessions with diverse activities, intervening positively to advise young people away from anti-social behaviour and petty crime.
9.Project Name: Teen Zone
- Amount awarded: £9,075
- Area: Preston
- Overview: Quwwat Education Centre in Preston aims to address social issues, empower youth, promote community cohesion, and provide resources through their multifaceted Teen Zone project, targeting various community needs and priorities.
10. Project Name: George’s Kitchen Homeless Feeding Project
- Amount awarded: £10,000
- Area: Preston
- Overview: St George the Martyr Church in Preston provides hot meals and expanded services for rough sleepers, aiming to tackle anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse while enhancing community support and well-being.
WEST:
11. Project Name: Green Festival Workshops
- Amount awarded: £10,000
- Area: Lancaster and Morecambe
- Overview: Escape2Make in Lancaster and Morecambe offers creative workshops for youth linked to sustainability, aiming to deter anti-social behavior and tackle domestic abuse and sexual violence, supported by various funding sources.
12. Project Name: YEP (Youth Engagement Programme)
- Amount awarded: £9,720
- Area: Wyre
- Overview: Fleetwood Town Community Trust in Wyre provides a safe space for girls to participate in sports, activities, and workshops, aiming to reduce anti-social behavior and support victims of domestic abuse and violence.
13. Project Name: Bystander Awareness
- Amount awarded: £10,000
- Area: Lancaster
- Overview: Lancaster City Council implements a bystander training program targeting students and key groups in the night-time economy to address anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse, supported by Lancaster University funding.
- Project Name: SafeNet ISVA Service to support Sexual Violence Victim/Survivors
- Amount awarded: £9,900
- Area: Lancashire
- Overview: Safenet Domestic Abuse Services Ltd provides specialist support to sexual violence victims/survivors, with funding from the Commissioner supporting auxiliary costs related to ISVA support, prioritising the tackling of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
- Project Name: Spring into Safe Relationships
- Amount Awarded: £10,000
- Area: Lancashire
- Project Duration: 12 months
- Overview: Spring into Action CiC offers workshops for young people with disabilities, focusing on dating, staying safe, and preparing for intimate relationships, aiming to tackle domestic abuse and sexual violence within the Lancashire area.
Police Innovation Fund:
- Project Name: Operation Scoreboard
- Amount awarded: £11,634.50
- Area: Pan Lancashire
- Overview: Specialist Operations aims to equip Lancashire with drone detection equipment to combat illegal contraband entering prisons, supported by HMPPS funding, with a focus on disrupting and dismantling organized crime.
17. Project Name: Video Doorbells
- Amount awarded: £19,922.70
- Area: Pan Lancashire
- Overview: ASB, Prevention & Problem Solving Command proposes installing video doorbells in residential properties across Lancashire, strategically placed to cover entrances and doorways, aiming to deter anti-social behaviour, burglary, robbery, and tackle domestic abuse and sexual violence, complementing the NICE2SHARE project.
Total – £156,627.20 – 17 projects
