Executive summary
Violence Reduction Units (VRU’s) were established to provide leadership and strategic coordination to address serious violence.
Cleveland’s VRU known locally as CURV – Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence – aims to achieve this by strengthening partnerships, engaging with communities, and ensuring that specified authorities, partners, and key stakeholders work collaboratively.
The goal is to enable individuals, families, and communities to live, learn, and work in Cleveland free from the fear, effects, and consequences of serious violence.
CURV adopts a whole-system, public health approach, prioritising activity against a set of key performance indicators across all age groups, with a particular focus on those aged under 25. Indicators include the following:
- Reductions in hospital admissions for assaults with a knife or sharp object
- Reduction in Knife enabled offences
- Reduction in all non-domestic homicides
CURV is committed to tackling knife and weapon-enabled crime, particularly among young people. CURV leads efforts to reduce the harm and devastation caused by knife crime through a comprehensive Knife Crime Action Plan. This plan adopts a multi-agency approach and is delivered in partnership with organisations across Cleveland.
The numbers of young people (aged 24 and under) involved in knife crime continue to remain high, highlighting the need for continued enforcement, education, and community engagement through a sustained and coordinated approach to protect young people and prevent violence.
Delivery
To support delivery of the Knife Crime Action Plan, CURV launched the Knife Crime Action Fund on 23 May 2025.
A total budget of £80,000 was allocated to support local charitable and voluntary organisations.
Thsi cash was aimed at reducing knife crime across Cleveland by supporting community-based interventions that deliver against the following outcomes:
- Raise awareness of the consequences of carrying or using a knife
- Empower young people to make safer, informed choices
- Divert young people from violence, crime, or harm
- Equip young people with the confidence to act if they know someone is carrying a knife
- Engage effectively with under-24s, while not excluding adults
- Support parents and families to strengthen relationships, improve communication, and increase awareness of knife crime risks
As detailed in the funding application form, preference was given to applicants able to prioritise delivery within serious violence hotspot areas.
Application Process
In total, thirty-one (31) bids were submitted by the deadline on 13th June 2025, two of which were removed due to failing to meet essential selection criteria.
On 19 June 2025, the remaining 29 bids were reviewed by a decision making panel, comprising of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), representatives from CURV, the Victim Care and Advice Service, Probation, and a young person. The young person had previously taken part in one of our Shape Your Safety workshops.
The Decision
The decision panel selected the following successful bids:
| Organisation Name | Type of Project | Target Areas (with a focus on Serious Violence Hotspots) | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc Stockton | Diversionary activities | All areas (Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, Stockton, Hartlepool) | £12,350 (plus 50% match funding from external partner bringing total funding amount to £24,700) |
| MFC Foundation | Diversionary Activities (Sports: Football) / Education-based knife crime awareness (schools) | All areas (Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, Stockton, Hartlepool) | £14,000 |
| Education Training Collective | Education-based knife crime awareness (colleges); (VR headsets / lived experience) | Stockton, Redcar & Cleveland | £7,440 |
| Billingham Boxing Academy | Diversionary Activities (Sports: Boxing) / Education-based knife crime awareness / Parent & Family support) | Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool | £17,120 |
| St John Ambulance | Education-based knife crime awareness (schools & colleges) / Parent & Family support | Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, Hartlepool | £14,242.25 |
| Budo for Change | Diversionary Activities (Wrestling, MMA and Jiu Jitsu) / Education based knife crime awareness | Stockton | £13,560 |
Further details of the successful bids can be found at Appendix A to this decision.
Appendix A – CURV Knife Crime Action Fund – Successful Bids (application, 18kB)
Decision 2025/26 – 013: Knife Crime Action Fund (application, 177kB)