The Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit is delighted to announce that it has awarded over £10,000 to directly benefit 1,980 young people, through a fund aimed at preventing crime and serious violence.

The Local Youth Fund gives young people an alternative to crime by providing the chance to bid for activities or projects that matter to them and make a difference to the communities they live in.

By developing their own projects, young people are gaining experience, learning new skills and building their confidence, all of which have a positive influence on their future life choices.

Young people continue to shape this fund, with a panel responsible for reviewing applications and providing recommendations for funding. In the latest round of the Local Youth Fund, the panel asked the Violence Reduction Unit to fund 20 of the 24 submissions from young people in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear.

The successful applicants have come up with a range of projects, including community sessions, a variety of sports activities, training programmes for personal development, improving local areas and learning new skills with a focus on health and well-being.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “More than 2,000 young people have already benefited from previous rounds of this fund, so I’m delighted to see such enthusiasm and interest from young people in this latest round. The young people have come up with some fantastic ideas and I can’t wait to see some of their projects in person over the next couple of months”.

She added “The Violence Reduction Unit recognise the importance of giving young people access to opportunities and have put them right at the heart of this unique fund. I can’t stress enough how important it is that we continue to engage our young people now to ensure they have the right support to make positive decisions for the future.”

The organisations supporting the successful applicants include:

  • 1151 Wallsend Squadron Air Training Corps
  • 1st Ponteland Boys Brigade & Girls
  • African Community Advice North East
  • Barmoor Hub
  • Fearless Fitness CIC
  • Fenham Association of Residents
  • Gateshead Football Club Community Foundation
  • Haltwhistle Young and Sweet
  • Hat-Trick
  • Humankind
  • Inspire Youth Tyne and Wear
  • Newcastle Eagles Community Foundation
  • Northumberland County Council, Northumberland Adolescent Service, Northumberland Youth Service
  • Ocean Road Community Association
  • The Chev Gateshead Ltd
  • YMCA North Tyneside

For more information on the Local Youth Fund, please contact the Violence Reduction Unit by email VRU@northumbria-pcc.gov.uk.