Vulnerable children benefit from more Home Office funds being invested in Essex via the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

Just under £100,000 has been distributed to 14 organisations across Essex to help vulnerable children and young people who may have been impacted by COVID-19.

The Home Office has made nearly £3 million available for small voluntary and community sector organisations from its Vulnerable Children’s Charities Fund, allocated via Violence Reduction Units across England and Wales.

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex established the Violence and Vulnerability Unit, a multi-agency partnership, nearly two years ago. To help prevent young people getting involved in gangs and violence it has been allocated millions of pounds from the Home Office and received £1 million from Essex County Council. The PFCC has also invested 400,000 in the work.

Roger Hirst addresses our Perspectives on Violence Conference held before social distancing © Clarissa Debenham Photography. www.clarissadebenhamphotography.co.uk @clarissadebenhamphotography

Roger, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “We were allocated £98,101 from the Vulnerable Children’s Charities Fund to help 14 local charities who may have had the vital support they offer to children and young people affected as result of COVID-19, either by costs associated with offering remote or socially distanced sessions or an increase in children or young people who need help and support.

“It is great news that we were are able to work with the Home Office, receive this money and distribute it to people at a time when they need it the most.”

 

Charities had to bid for the money and applications were reviewed by a panel of stakeholders that included representatives from the PFCC, the Violence and Vulnerability Unit and the voluntary sector.

Roger added: “Tackling serious violence and protecting young and vulnerable people are both key priorities in my Police and Crime Plan. We are working hard in Essex with our partners to tackle violence in our communities and are well ahead of other areas of the country. We have already created a Violence and Vulnerability Unit, have invested in a range of activities for young people at risk and strengthened our enforcement activities. We are investing in activities and interventions that stop the vulnerable being drawn into a life of crime and help those already involved to exit gangs safely.”

Funds into the Violence and Vulnerability Unit: 2019/20 & 2020/2021

From the Home Office:

1,160,000.00 VRU
1,160,000.00 VRU
350,000.00 EIYF
98,101.00 VCC
Total: 2,768,101.00

From Essex:

1,000,000.00 ECC
400,000.00 PFCC
Total: 1,400,000.00

The Violence and Vulnerability Unit is a multi-agency team including officers from Essex Police, Essex County Council, Youth Offending Service, Essex Community Rehabilitation Company, and other agencies. They come together to carry out joint operations, interventions, and ensure sharing of relevant data and intelligence led by a violence and vulnerability project manager.
The unit invests in awareness and education programmes as well as new, evidence-based preventative interventions to prevent young people from being exploited by criminal gangs.

Organisations awarded funds from the Vulnerable Children’s Charities Fund

• Bar’N’Bus – Working in partnership with local churches, schools, councils and groups to provide professional, community-based youth work, seeking transformation and fullness of life for young people. Employing professional youth workers as well as recruiting, training and supporting teams of volunteers to offer a wider provision of community youth work –  £4,090.00
• Changing Lives  – Working to increase physical activity in the community and prevent children from involvement in anti-social behaviour and gang activity through sports sessions and social enterprise workshops – £8,519.00
• Chelmsford 5th/9th Scout Group Scout group providing life skills and adventure activities for children of all abilities from 5 ½ years to 19 years. Youth work in one of the most deprived wards in Chelmsford – £7,729.63
• GEI (Girls Empowerment Initiative) Providing empowerment programmes to girls who are at risk of harmful and religious cultural practices – £13,800.00
• London Bus Company Increasing young people’s confidence, self-esteem, employability and transferable life skills through a range of drama and film making activities. The organisation focuses on the most deprived communities within Essex – £5,850.00
• NOO YU – Delivering a service with relationships at the core, combined with working in youth justice, and using sport and fitness – to support changing behaviours – £8,123.10
• Outhouse East – Supporting the delivery of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of Essex with a focus on LGBTQ+ youth. Operating a counselling service, youth support and social groups – £15,124.88
• Refugee Action – Colchester Support organisation for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants across North Essex, providing support to vulnerable minors -£900.00
• SAFE Supporting Asperger Families in Essex- A parent support group that works to: raise awareness of Asperger’s, providing support for individuals and families – £4,841.52
• Waltham Abbey Youth 2000 – Providing activities, aiming to improve sporting, leisure, cultural, education and employment opportunities for young people of Waltham Abbey, an area deprivation -£7,000.00
• Motivated Minds – Offering a variety of services including: counselling, advocacy, practical support, training and workshops -£6,624.00
• Proximity Services provided through local schools, including drop-in cafe, assemblies and drop-in reflective spaces; group interventions and workshops; and bespoke 1:1 mentoring for young people -£1,994.00
• ATF (Achievement Through Football) Southend Working with marginalised communities to build resilience, confidence and wellbeing. By engaging in physical activity sessions, aim is to build trust and then access public/third sector support including counselling sessions – £6,504.87
• Seabrooke Community Association – Run by the community for the community. Running three different children and young people’s groups. Situated in an area of deprivation -£7,000.00