Emily Spurrell is calling on community groups, charities and organisations in Garston to apply for a share of £25,000 funding, made available using money seized from criminals.
From today (Monday 4 December), community groups operating in Garston, or intending to use the funding within this area, can apply for grants of up to £5,000 to deliver a project focused on youth engagement and intervention.
The funding has been made available using funds seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
With the focus on projects which aim to reduce and prevent crime and antisocial behaviour through youth engagement and interventions, bidding groups will have to go back to the classroom and pitch their ideas to a group of schoolchildren from primary and secondary schools.
They will decide who receives a share of the £25,000 funding pot at the Giving Back to Garston participatory budget event in February 2024. It will take place at The Academy of St Nicholas and bring together students from the Academy and five local primary schools to take part in the voting – St Austin’s, Garston CE, Banks Road, Gilmour Juniors and Holy Trinity.
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for those organisations in Garston, who contribute so positively to their communities, to benefit from the ill-gotten gains of criminals.
“By taking the money out of the pockets of criminals and putting it back where it belongs, we can channel it towards the areas that need it most, helping to grow local groups, increase opportunities for our young people and create safer, stronger places to live for us all.
“Merseyside Police will never give up in its pursuit of criminal gangs and we are determined to prevent those who inflict misery on our communities from benefitting financially from their illegal activities.
“The money we seize from those who seek to harm our communities, will instead now be used for good – enhancing the vital work our brilliant third sector organisations do within their communities and I look forward to hearing their pitches at the event in February, and seeing who the schoolchildren choose to be beneficiaries of this funding.
“I would encourage all local groups to apply for a share of this funding focused on making our communities better places to live, work and play in the months and years to come.”
Those applying for the fund can be from a Garston based voluntary or community group or intend to use the funding to benefit residents in this specific area.
All applications for funding must demonstrate how they will contribute to the key theme of ‘Youth engagement and intervention’.
Find out more and how to apply here. The closing date for entries is 4pm on Monday 8 January 2024. Successful applicants will be announced at the Giving Back to Garston event in February 2024.
