Wakefield domestic violence project receives thousands in grant cash

The district’s Safer Together Partnership has awarded £87,000 to two projects, one tackling domestic violence and the other criminal behaviour. The partnership has also successfully bid for £32,000 of funding to tackle youth crime and prevent young people being exploited by criminals.

Coun Maureen Cummings, chair of the Safer Together Partnership, and Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Poverty at Wakefield Council, said: “I am delighted to be able to announce our latest funding and investment in services that will support people affected by domestic violence and to help tackle the root causes of crime.

“Our role is to support organisations so they can make a real difference to the lives of individuals and communities in our district.

“Unfortunately, the pandemic and lockdown has been stressful for many, resulting in the breakdown of relationships, and creating difficult times for many leaving people vulnerable to exploitation. That is why this funding is so important, now more than ever, to help those that need it most.”

The Safer Together Partnership has awarded £22,248 to The Domestic Abuse Partnership Car. Its role includes working closely with police to support victims, increasing the safety of the victim, reducing repeat incidents and keeping victims safe.

A programme to prevent convicted criminals re-offending has been awarded £64,858 by the Safer Together Partnership. The Integrated Offender Management has goals including reducing the negative impact of crime and reoffending, protecting vulnerable people and improving confidence in the criminal justice service.

The Safer Together Partnership recently successfully applied for Violence Reduction Unit funding of £32,043 from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC). These funds will be used to increase services to work with young people who are at risk of becoming victims of crime, or at risk of being exploited by criminal gangs to carry out crime.

Part of the funding will be allocated to the Young Lives Consortium to deliver the Safe Spaces initiative - a membership organisation of Voluntary and Community Sector groups working with children and young people aged 0-19 years across the Wakefield district. The funding includes costs for staffing cost to deliver sessions in schools and other venues, room hire, educational materials and evaluation.

West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Mark Burns-Williamson, said: “Our ability to address serious violence at grass root level is reliant upon the support of those partners that are truly engrained and immersed within our communities. This is why working alongside Community Safety Partnerships plays such a fundamental role in our response to tackling serious violence, particularly among young people.

“Early intervention and awareness raising is key and this includes diversionary activities from creative hubs, music and theatre to educational initiatives with mentoring and coaching.

“Partners working together directly contributes to the reductions we are seeing in violent crime within West Yorkshire, which in turn, is helping to keep people safe and feel safe.”

The Safer Together Partnership is made up of partners including Wakefield Council, West Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, Clinical Commissioning Group, WDH, voluntary sector, and others. It is responsible for making the whole of the Wakefield district a safer place for everyone to live, work and visit.

To find out more about The Safer Together Partnership visit www https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/community/community-safety-partnership

For information on The Domestic Abuse Partnership Car visit www.wakefield.gov.uk/domesticabuse

For information on the Young Lives Consortium, visit http://www.ylc.org.uk/