£25 million of government funding is now available to help support victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Organisations supporting victims in Gloucestershire have an opportunity to apply via the OPCC for a slice of the funding, which comes from the Ministry of Justice.

The extraordinary funding announcement is part of a £76 million pot of money from central government, designed to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse (DA), sexual violence (SV), vulnerable children and their families, as well as victims of modern slavery. But applicants need to be quick, as applications close on Friday 5 June 2020.

Kirsten Fruin, OPCC Commissioning Manager, said: “There are hundreds of families across Gloucestershire who’ve sadly not had the luxury of being safe while staying at home. This money will help fund local organisations ensuring that victims and survivors get the support they need as we come out of lockdown.

“We welcome applications from relevant organisations across the county and particularly want to hear from those which are not already working with the OPCC.”

The funding will help with the additional costs organisations in Gloucestershire have incurred as they adapt their services during the COVID-19 pandemic, or to cope with the predicted increase in demand as the country comes out of lockdown.

Applications for the funding will be co-ordinated by Gloucestershire’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. To be eligible, organisations must be a registered charity, a charitable incorporated organisation, or a social enterprise, including companies limited by guarantee and community interest companies. They must provide support services with the purpose of helping victims of crime cope with the impacts of crime, and, as far as possible, recover from the harm they have experienced.

Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl said: “My office works with many local support charities which have raised concern for their service users not being safe at home during lockdown.

“I’m pleased that the Government has allocated this funding for such an important issue, and look forward to hearing how organisations in Gloucestershire plan to use the funding.”

In Gloucestershire, services to support victims of sexual violence or domestic abuse are still available, even during lockdown. There is a full list of local services available on the OPCC website.

Advice for applicants

 The funding can only be used by organisations providing direct tailored support to domestic abuse and sexual violence victims, and specifically covers additional costs incurred as a direct result of Covid-19.

Full eligibility criteria can be viewed by accessing the government handbook here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-funding-for-domestic-abuse-and-sexual-violence-support-services

Following the receipt of all applications an OPCC internal assessment panel will review all bids on a case by case basis, taking into consideration the views of Constabulary colleges and other local commissioners expertise in this area. Each application will be assessed using the assessment criteria in the MOJ guidance. If total value of all the applications is higher than the value of the maximum amount allocated by the MOJ to Gloucestershire OPCC then the OPCC will prioritise funding according to where the greatest need is.

If you have any further questions, please contact Kirsten.fruin@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk.

To apply, please complete the form below and return it to Kirsten.fruin@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk

The deadline for applications is Friday 5th June 2020.

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