A youth group which helps keep children safe, active and out of trouble said grant funding is having a direct positive impact on young people’s lives.
The number of people attending Warsop Youth and Community has risen tenfold since it was launched - and funding support from the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner has helped this expansion, which is believed to have reduced antisocial behaviour in the town.
Applications have reopened this week for grants of up to £5,000 from Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Chest fund, and community groups across Nottinghamshire are now being urged to apply.
Wayne Williamson-Cooper, chairman and secretary of Warsop Youth and Community, said his group was successful in the last funding round of the Community Chest earlier this year, as well as previously benefitting from a Make Notts Safe Grant.
“The money that we got helped with our antisocial behaviour task force,” he said.
“We sent people out on the street around the Warsop area and surrounding villages and looking at gangs of kids and seeing what they were up to, keeping them out of trouble and encouraging them to come down to the youth club.
“Our numbers at the youth club have gone from 20-30 children across two days to around 200 kids on both days.
“We are taking kids off the street because of it and helping to tackle antisocial behaviour.
“Warsop is only a little outlying parish so we don’t have police officers here all the time so it’s up to community to help the police and to help keep the streets safe.”
Mr Williamson-Cooper said Warsop Youth and Community, which runs youth clubs on Mondays and Thursdays from its base in Wood Street, Warsop, would consider applying again for funding, and encouraged other groups to consider putting in an application.
“It is well worth applying for these kind of grants and using the money to do things in your own local community,” he said. “We did a lot with the money and you could too.”
The Community Chest is aimed at third sector community-based organisations, and in some cases parish councils, to support projects that help meet the Police and Crime Commissioner’s priorities in the Make Notts Safe Plan.
These priorities are: Preventing crime and protecting people from harm; responding efficiently and effectively to local needs; and supporting victims, survivors, witnesses and communities.
Examples of how the money could be used include funding community events to build trust and confidence in Nottinghamshire Police; running small scale activities for young people at risk, undertaking outreach or awareness-raising initiatives, or purchasing small items of equipment for community initiatives.
The Community Chest opens twice a year for funding bids, with local groups able to bid for up to £5,000 from the £25,000 pot. The final deadline for applications is 5 August 2022.
Successful applicants will receive funding in September and it must be used by the end of March 2023.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “These grants for up to £5,000 can make a big difference in the community.
“They may help fund small projects or equipment, or they could be used as seed corn funding to unlock further funding from other grant providers.
“This latest funding round is open until 5 August, and we have made the application process as simple as possible, so I would encourage any interested groups to start the process as soon as possible.”
To find out more about the Community Chest funding, or to make an application, click here.
Posted on Thursday 30th June 2022