What would you do with £50,000?

October 17, 2011

Calling all community activists!

Have you got an innovative idea to tackle the crime issues that really affect your local community?

The “Community action against crime: Innovation fund” encourages creative new approaches to tackling crime. The fund is worth £5 million in England in 2011/12, with a further £5 million set aside for 2012/13. Applications are being welcomed from voluntary and community groups in North Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire in an effort to see the region take full advantage of the funding available.

The scheme is funded by the Home Office and will be delivered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF).

It is hoped that the scheme will encourage effective community partnerships to get everybody working together to develop and deliver innovative approaches to tackle the local crime issues that really matter to them.

Voluntary and community groups can apply for funding of between £1,000 and £50,000 for innovative projects that will deliver lasting benefits in tackling local crime issues, with a particular focus on antisocial behaviour, drug/alcohol related crime, violence, youth crime and reducing re-offending.

Examples of the type of innovative projects that could qualify for funding include a community art programme created in partnership to tackle graffiti, or a drama group set up to reduce youth crime by involving young people in the community in a creative way.

The Fund is open to applications from now until 1st December 2011 via CDF. Applications from grassroots community activists who are not traditional recipients of government grants are particularly encouraged.

YDMT has been asked to publicise the funding in the local area, and also to form a cross-regional panel which will assess all the applications received for the areas of North Yorkshire and East Riding.

His Honour Peter Charlesworth is Chairman of the newly formed Crime Innovation Fund panel and is also a YDMT Trustee. He commented “This is a wonderful opportunity for local people to tackle the crime issues that really affect their local community head on. I’m hopeful that we will receive many innovative community-led applications that will see us securing as much money as possible for the North Yorkshire and East Riding regions to challenge crime at a local level through community activism.”

To find out more about eligibility and the online application process please contact CDF on 02078 331772 (choosing option 3) or email crime.innovation@cdf.org.uk.
Alternatively visit http://www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/crime-innovation-fund for more information.