The scheme, delivered by the Community Foundation for Merseyside (CFM) in partnership with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside (PCC) and the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP), is targeted at community projects that offer diversionary activities- particular those that include arts, culture and sports to support young people aged under 25 years who may be more vulnerable to experiencing violence and at risk of anti-social behaviour. This could be due to a lack of self-esteem, experiencing challenges at home, they may live in a community where drugs and alcohol are prevalent, or the community may lack infrastructure and accessible services. All these factors are recognised as increasing vulnerability to experiencing violence and/or exploitation.
Applications can be considered from all areas within Merseyside (Halton is not eligible as this falls under Cheshire PCC) and we encourage applications from areas suffering of high crime and ASB.
The grants panel are keen for organisations to include capacity building costs for your organisation and would encourage consortium/partnership applications that will allow groups to work together (although this is not a requirement). The primary focus of the scheme is community provision and out of school hours engagement.
Interventions/programmes delivered must fall into one of the following types:
- Prevention – Awareness-raising or psycho-social education programmes
- Early Intervention – Developmental and diversionary youth outreach activities and programmes
- Therapeutic – Tailored interventions and programmes
- Desistence – Programmes which aim to cease offending or reoffending
Please note that funding must be spent in full by 31st March 2025 and must include an element of youth engagement during the summer school holidays and October half-term/Halloween/bonfire night period.
The Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership receives government funding to identify and support those areas which have the greatest need and impact (in terms of demand upon blue light services). This is based on localised data, using several datasets held within the Trauma & Injury Intelligence Group (TIIG) Data Hub. The datasets include information relating to Serious Violence offences (Merseyside Police), Deliberate and Preliminary Fires (Merseyside Fire and Rescue), Ambulance call-outs (North West Ambulance Service), Attendance to Emergency Departments (Merseyside Emergency Departments),Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) Support, Pupils eligible for free school meals, Suspensions & Persistent absences (Department for Education), Index of Multiple Deprivation (Gov.uk).
Based on this data, they encourage proposals for programmes and projects based as follows:
St Helens – Town Centre, Parr
Sefton – Linacre, Duke’s, St Oswald, Litherland
Wirral – Bidston and St James, Birkenhead and Tranmere, Leasowe and Moreton East, Seacombe
Liverpool – Central, County, Riverside, Tuebrook and Stoneycroft, Norris Green, Prince's Park
Knowsley – Northwood, Stockbridge, Page Moss
It is recognised that locally there will be additional need for funding to other communities (particularly at certain times of the year) and therefore although funding will be prioritised to organisations based within the identified communities, they welcome bids from other communities.
How much funding can organisations apply for?
The minimum grant applied for is £5,000 and maximum grant is £25,000. The grants panel will award grants that are proportionate to the turnover of the organisation(s) applying.
A wide range of arts, culture and sports engagement and prevention activities that meet the below target outcomes can be considered:
- Increased participation of young people in arts, cultural and sports activities
- Increased engagement with young people which is sustainable beyond the funding period
- Improved reported mental health and wellbeing of young people (including anger management)
- Increased perception of personal safety amongst the young people involved
- Improved social, emotional, and behavioural skills
- Improved awareness of the impact of violent crime, particularly knife crime, and the signs and dangers of child criminal exploitation
- Improved aspirations of young people
- Voices of young people and communities being embedded within the organisation
- Increased opportunities for young people
Closing Date:
4pm Friday 14th June 2024:
For more information and how to apply: