Kim McGuinness’ Operation Payback is back, and is looking to hand over £100K to frontline causes across the North East, following a host of successful raids and arrests made by Northumbria Police.

In May, a confiscation order for £33,621 was issued following a case where an Ashington based drug dealer fled to Spain but was later extradited and jailed for 13 years. Also, in March a local drug dealer was ordered to pay back thousands he had earned selling Class A drugs on Wearside. He was also sentenced to 9 years in prison.

Excellent results fighting crime like this have helped contribute to the popular funding pot which is now in its fifth round.

Set up in 2020 by Ms McGuinness, the goal of Operation Payback is to return cash from crime back to the community. To date, the funding opportunity has handed over £1 million to good causes that are determined to improve lives across the region.

Recently, crime fighting officers from Northumbria Police have not only seized large sums of money but have intercepted a raft of illegal drugs and harmful weapons preventing them from causing harm on the streets of our region.

Now, Northumbria’s Police Commissioner is on the hunt for fresh projects and ideas that would benefit from some of this money, which in turn would benefit the whole neighbourhood. Youth clubs, sports teams, community hubs and schools are the types of organisations that the Northumbria Police Commissioner wants to help by providing much needed cash and her office is welcoming applications from Friday 30th June onwards.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “I’ve been hearing countless success stories from Northumbria Police lately – really good work disrupting organised crime and seizing associated money. It’s this money that I want to get out there in our communities – to create opportunities and improve lives. That’s exactly why I set up Operation Payback.

“There really is no better use for cash seized from crime than giving the money to where it’s needed most – deprived areas, areas lacking in activities to keep kids busy, neighbourhoods where we need to clampdown on things like antisocial behaviour.
“It’s about offering kids the chance to do things they want to do, keeping them entertained or even making sure they are fed and feel supported in life.”
Inviting local groups to apply for funding she said: “Any organisation, youth group, charity or community hub with bright ideas, particularly around fighting poverty and preventing crime, needs to get in touch. They need to get their bids in so together we can make it happen.
“Operation Payback has achieved so much in the past, helping establish Friday night youth clubs, dance classes and even focused knife crime awareness sessions. We’ve had so many activities reaching so many young people and I look forward to seeing what plans people want to bring to bring to life this time around”.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Riley of Northumbria Police, said: “Operation Payback continues to help support those charities and organisations whose work is vital, and benefits those in the communities we serve.
“Work will continue across the force, and with the support of our partners, to takedown the criminal groups seeking to profit from misery and place them before the courts. Not only that but our financial investigators will continue their vital work, detecting and seizing illicit cash, assets and ill-gotten gains and ensuring they are re-distributed into the communities who are most affected.”

The fund will be open for applications from Friday 30th June to August 11th. Decisions will be made by the end of September. The funding uses money recovered by the police from criminal activity, under the Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA), with some recovered funds also going to Northumbria Police to help them target more criminals.
Operation Payback seeks to fund projects that:

• Repair the harm caused by ASB
• Prevent/reduce youth or adult ASB
• Provide diversionary activities throughout the year including school holidays.

Operation Payback is part of a much wider of action happening across the Northumbria Police force area as part of plans to tackle issues like ASB and knife crime. The aim of the fund is to support the work of Northumbria Police and help prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, which will in turn improve lives for local people.

For further information on how to apply  – CLICK HERE.

ENDS