£200k available for community groups

TIME is running out for local community groups across Staffordshire Moorlands to apply for funding to turn great ideas for making their area safer into reality.

Staffordshire’s Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis is making £200,000 available across this year through his People Power Fund and Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) Fund.

The window for the latest round of applications for funding will close on September 14.

Hundreds of ideas have been funded by the commissioner over recent years, with grants of £100 to £2,000 available through the People Power Fund and £2,000 to £10,000 through POCA.

The People Power Fund supports locally driven community safety activities throughout Staffordshire and Stoke-on-trent. These could include providing long-term positive activities for young people to help reduce anti-social behaviour, mentoring programmes for local groups or activities that reassure and improve the quality of life for local people.

The Commissioner’s Proceeds of Crime Fund sees money and assets confiscated from criminal seizures funding projects to make communities safer.

Matthew Ellis said: “The People Power Fund helps local communities with ideas to make their areas safer. It is really easy to apply for and is about preventing problems like anti-social behaviour through better security or anything that is likely to successfully deter wrong-doing nuisance.

“The Proceeds of Crime funding always gives me a warm feeling. Staffordshire Police strip offenders of their ill-gotten gains and then we make it available in grants to support activities preventing crime.

“It’s a bit of a virtuous circle… criminals commit crime, police via the courts seize their assets and that provides money to make places safer.”

People Power Fund applications need to be sponsored by the group’s Neighbourhood Police Officer or PCSO and will initially be assessed by the local Community Safety Partnership.

You can find out more and apply at https://staffordshire-pfcc.gov.uk/ get-involved/community-funding/ and community