£880,000 boost for violence reduction work
LEICESTERSHIRE’S Violence Reduction Network (VRN) has been awarded a further £880,000, securing its work until March 2021.
The Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced that 18 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will receive an additional £35m to continue funding specialist teams to tackle violent crime in their area.
Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach said that the money would secure the future of the VRN until 2021, boosting the effectiveness of current and new initiatives across the whole of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
“This is good news for the new year,” he said.
“Violence is totally unacceptable, it causes significant and far-reaching harm to the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities and society.
“I want to see young people turning away from crime and violence. That’s why areas such as parenting, health and education are central to the prevention of violence and it is crucial that we invest in healthy early years development and I’m pleased to see all the partners working together to deliver this.”
Paul Hindson, Chair of the VRN’s Board, added: “This funding will provide us with the financial security to build on our work to date and evaluate ‘what works and what doesn’t’ so that we can firmly embed those projects which prove most successful.
“Local communities can now have confidence that the work already underway will be continued. This in turn will encourage more people to become involved and work with us. Communities play a central role in violence prevention, providing insights which help us to understand the problem in their area and helping us to deliver the most effective response.
“Everyone has a role to play in violence prevention and the VRN’s real strength lies in its partnership approach. It brings together different organisations including police, local government, health, community leaders and other key partners to prevent serious violence.
“This is good news for the communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, helping people to live their lives free from violence and the fear of violence.”
The VRN was launched in August 2019 with funding of £880,000 to be used in the current financial year. It works on the principle that enforcement alone will not solve the problem of violence, but if the underlying causes can be addressed it will deliver long-term sustainable outcomes.
Funding is subject to receiving proposals from Violent Reduction Units on spending allocations and being agreed by the Home Office.