Community Cashback
£95K worth of criminals' cash will fund six local community projects
Six publicly nominated projects in Leicestershire are to receive a combined total of £95,000 of criminal’s cash to help their work in local communities.
The money, which was made available through the Government’s recently launched Community Cashback scheme, comes from cash and assets confiscated from criminals under Proceeds of Crime legislation.
In Leicestershire and Rutland 70 projects were nominated and more than 1,200 members of the public voted to say which projects they would like to see funded.
All 70 projects were carefully assessed against national criteria and local priorities by a judging panel after which 13 projects were selected for consideration by the public. The results of the public voting were taken into consideration at a second juding panel that chose six projects to put forward to the Office of Criminal Justice Reform for consideration for funding.
The Leicestershire and Rutland Criminal Justice Board have been successful in securing funding for all six of the projects put forward. They are:
• The Green Lifeboat - awarded £46,500 to expand their existing project to clear up the river and canals of Leicester, removing rubbish and tackling the anti-social behaviour which leads to it through education and awareness raising. This successful scheme has already been running for 15 years but has lacked the funding to undertake widespread awareness raising and to tackle some sections of the river and canals which are worst affected and most difficult to clean.
• Harborough Be Safe – awarded £9,000 to extend the entirely voluntary and invaluable service they provide to the elderly and vulnerable people of the Harborough District. The money will help Harborough Be Safe to run regular market stalls in Market Harborough and Lutterworth to reach people travelling in from outlying areas of the district as well as funding the purchase of new security devices for personal and home use which will be given free of charge to those who need them.
• New Parks Community Boxing Gym – awarded £6,000 to help them further their work which has seen a significant impact on levels of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage in New Parks since the gym was opened in 2008. The money will fund the training of 30 local people to become qualified first aiders and ABA [Amateur Boxing Association] boxing tutors. Once qualified the tutors will volunteer at the New Parks Community Boxing gym and deliver the ABA boxing awards to local schools, colleges and youth clubs, furthering the work and aims of the gym and engaging even more young people and adults from across the estate.
• Goldhill Adventure Playground – awarded £11,000 to refurbish their existing structures to help them provide even better facilities for young people on the Saffron Lane estate. The playground actively challenges anti-social behaviour and offers children and young people a place to play and learn, hosting some 300 to 400 children and young people during the school breaks and out of school hours. The project runs completely on donations and public support and is a greatly valued community facility.
• Blaby District Street Pastors – awarded £20.500 to set up the scheme to cover Blaby District. Elsewhere across the country the presence of Street Pastors within communities has reduced the fear of crime and antisocial behaviour, has proven to reduce crime levels and helps police, local councils and other community safety partners to tackle the problems of binge drinking and antisocial behaviour. The Blaby scheme will be unique - covering 50 square miles across and seven large villages. The Street Pastors will be on the streets of villages after 10pm on designated nights, building upon existing youth work provision and supporting the work of the local police. The Street Pastors aim is not to proselytize, but to be a valuable source of support to the community.
• Barrow upon Soar Graffiti Wall - awarded £2,000 to build a graffiti wall in the village to help tackle local issues with criminal damage and anti-social behaviour. The wall was suggested by young people themselves and The Youth Action Group, Youth Council and Parish Council have worked together to identify a site on the King George V playing field. They believe that installing a graffiti wall will help to educe crime and antisocial behaviour in the area by providing a much needed and requested facility for the young people of the village.