Five organisations have been given funding to help reduce levels of violent crime in Cleveland.
Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence – or CURV – has released a total of £339,233. It will deliver four community-led interventions as part of their work to prevent violent incidents before they occur.
The four interventions include:
- Public space safety
- Targeted primary intervention
- Sport-based intervention
- Focused deterrence
Corner House Youth Project
Corner House Youth Project in Stockton secured £54,200 through a 12-month public space safety contract. It plans to improve feelings of safety in public spaces in key locations.
The Corner House works to support vulnerable young people aged eight to 19, protecting them from harm and exploitation and drawing them away from crime and anti-social behaviour.
The Newtown organisation will also help to reclaim the spaces for positive activities and will be granted a contract extension based on performance.
The targeted primary intervention contract will focus on improving support available to families concerned about an individual being drawn into violent crime.
A Way out
Stockton’s outreach and prevention charity – A Way Out – has been awarded £62,000 while Kalma Life secured £61,105 to deliver this approach over two years.
A Way Out supports women and young people with substance misuse problems, who are involved with sex work, homelessness or are living on the streets, often engaged in offending or victims of abuse.
A Kalma Life
Kalma Life will introduce exercise and mindfulness sessions in primary schools across Stockton and East Cleveland, using techniques such as breathing, yoga poses, relaxation, and visualisation, in a bid to help control emotions of youngsters.
The sport-based intervention contract was secured by Youth Focus North East. It will introduce and engage 10-25 year-olds from communities at higher risk of future involvement in serious violence in regular, community sport-based activities.
The charity secured £61,928.21 over two years to deliver weekly sport activities including, football, dodgeball, wheelchair basketball and dance classes across Thorntree and Park End wards in Middlesbrough.
Project Connect
As previously announced, Project Connect has been awarded £100,000 over two years. This is to continue its focused deterrence approach to reducing levels of violent crime in the Hemlington area of Middlesbrough.
The American-inspired strategy works directly with people most likely to become involved in violence. It aims to address their complex needs and support them to desist.
Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner, said: “Working together with organisations who really understand the community will allow us to create even more positive outcomes in our quest to reduce violent crime.
“This approach enables us to help prevent serious violence while putting families and communities first, ensuring Cleveland becomes safer, happier place to live and improving outcomes for young people.”
In April 2022, The Government announced that Cleveland would receive £3.5m over the next three years. This was to fund a violence reduction unit. As a result, CURV was established.
CURV was given a £1.048m budget by the Home Office for the financial year 2023/24.
CURV is committed to developing understanding of ‘what works’ by using an evidence-based approach to the services, which they fund.