Funding boost for crime-tackling community projects in Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping has unveiled full details of his Community Safety Fund allocations for 2020-21, which sees 24 local organisations sharing £249,417 in funding to support his efforts to fight crime.

He has also announced the outcome of the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) Fund 2020-21 which is distributing a further £152,598 across 13 organisations for projects that specifically focus on reducing serious violence and knife crime in the county.

A wide range of projects have secured funding during this year's round including initiatives which promote greater community cohesion and cross-cultural integration, those which prevent hate crime and others which tackle cybercrime and reduce the risk of exploitation of vulnerable people.

The PCC, who is also chair of the VRU board, said a treasure chest of skills, experience and knowledge existed within the community and it made perfect sense to tap into these assets to support the wider effort to reduce harm, especially where knife crime and violence were concerned.

He said: "Delivering change isn't easy and I'm proud of all our community stalwarts who, like Marcellus, work on the frontline to show people there is a better future.

"The issues impacting our communities are vast and complex and we need specially-trained professionals and those with lived experience of the problems to help families overcome the barriers that prevent them from thriving.

“If people receive the care and support they need, they will develop the necessary resilience to cope with their lives without becoming victims or perpetrators of crime.

"We are already seeing impressive results, with knife crime down significantly compared to the national picture. Working together with our communities we will ensure no stone is left unturned in our ambition to prevent young people from turning to violence.”