The Police and Crime Commissioner allocated more than £145,000 to community projects in Cleveland during the financial year 2021/22.
Projects ranged from supporting local clubs and events to almost £54,000 for initiatives aimed at preventing serious violence.
Serious Violence projects aim to engage Under-25s, build aspiration and/or create positive activities.
Diwali Festival (organised by Kash Productions Ltd) – £500
The PCC awarded £500 from the Community Safety Fund to the Middlesbrough Dilwali Festival in November 2021. This free public event was open to people from all backgrounds.
Pop-up Pride Middlesbrough (Curious Arts) – £500
Funding helped to deliver this event. It was organised in partnership with Middlesbrough Council and the Orange Pip Market.
Cleveland Mountain Rescue – £3,500
Funding allowed the team to train 10 response drivers from their existing pool of volunteers.
Cleveland Mountain Rescue provides free, emergency search and rescue and community support for residents and visitors to Cleveland.
MFC Kicks (MFC Foundation) – £86,000
Middlesbrough Football Club launched MFC Kicks in 2006 as part of a national initiative funded by the Premier League.
The project uses football and the brand of a professional football club to engage with eight to 18-year-olds in deprived areas. Many participants are at risk of offending or are known offenders.
Kicks aims to reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour in targeted areas as well as increase community cohesion.
Stockton Ladies Football Club (FC) – £1,000
Stockton Ladies FC is a community, voluntary group for women and girls, aged 16-plus.
It aims to create a safe space to give women the opportunity to increase personal and mental fitness while gaining support from the wider group.
Serious Violence Funding
The Chris Cave Foundation (CCF) – £25,000
Funding helped the Foundation to deliver Point 7 training across Cleveland.
It also increased support and referrals for young people to ensure that they don’t become involved in serious violence and knife crime
Crimestoppers, Fearless service -£10,071.60
The Fearless service is specifically aimed at young people. It works to educate and empower them by increasing their awareness of crime and criminality.
Crimestoppers seeks to guide young people who may be on the cusp of criminality to reduce the likelihood of them becoming involved in activity, which harms others and limits their own life chances.
Uniquely, young people can also pass on crime information to Fearless.org, which is 100% anonymous and safe.
Community Ventures (CVL) – £11,003
Funding helped the development and delivery of the weekly Boys in Blue pilot.
The project is a Boro initiative. It was created and supported by Cleveland Police to raise aspiration, build confidence and resilience.
It helped to improve relationships between police and young people by providing opportunities for young boys at risk of becoming involved in violence.
Element One CIC – £7,500
Skivers school project was inspired by Her Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS), inmates and staff.
The project combined ‘first contact’ listening and signposting skills with positive activity to create a network of young listeners across Stockton.
Crucially, it also included stories about the consequences of crime and serious violence by sharing the stories of Prison Listeners. Stories specifically related to drugs and County Lines, knife and hate crime.