- The award winning Commissioner’s Fund re-opens today
- The fund has supported around 440 local initiatives aimed at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour since it was launched 2012
- It offers grants in support of new and innovative projects, providing they address at least one of the priorities in the Police and Crime Plan.
- And was named Police Service of the Year at a National Public Sector Awards ceremony in March
When Ibrahim and his family arrived from Syria they were one of a very small number to be temporarily resettled in Gloucestershire and their future was uncertain.
As an officer on merchant ships, Ibrahim was keen to return to a career at sea but he needed to improve his English. To help him do so, he found work through the ‘Volunteer to belong’ project collecting and delivering furniture around the county.
Ibrahim may not be fluent in his adopted language just yet, but at least he and his family have made friends and feel more at home.
‘Volunteer to belong’ is one of the latest projects paid for by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Fund. It was created by the Gloucester based Furniture Recycling Project (FRP) and Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) – who are also supported by the Commissioner’s Fund – as a service to the public and to help reduce social exclusion.
Since he was elected, Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Martin Surl has funded around 440 local initiatives aimed at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. Many are having an impact on the county as a whole, some are specific to a community. Now he is on the lookout for more.
Mr. Surl said, “Any voluntary or community sector organisation or group with a constitution and a bank account can apply for grants to support new and innovative projects, providing they address at least one of my Police and Crime Plan priorities.
“The Commissioner’s Fund has also supported initiatives in the fight against gangs, alcohol and drug dependency and the impact all of those issues have on crime because community safety is not just about policing. It’s about everyone taking responsibility and playing their part in making their neighbourhood as good as it can be”.
The Commissioner’s Fund draws on the PCC’s Annual Budget and funding from the Ministry of Justice to support schemes put forward by local people to make their communities safer. Grants can cover a range of costs such as practical work, feasibility studies or research projects, group or partnership development, awareness raising, training, equipment and materials, marketing and promotion.
Many of the 440 projects are financed up to four years. Whilst the aim is for them to become sustainable by the end of this period, it also means the budget available decreases each year. So, in an attempt to balance expenditure whilst supporting existing schemes, projects will only be funded up to a maximum of £5,000 per annum for two years recognising that some of the best projects require less than this.
The funding opportunity for 2019/20 will be open for applications from 1 August 2018. In order to complete a formal application we require applicants to submit a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) to ensure they are eligible to apply for funding. The closing date for applications is 31 October 2018 and the successful projects will be funded from April 2019 to coincide with the new financial year.
If you have an idea you think is worth funding, please follow the link below to complete the PQQ and for more information on the funding opportunity, including the eligibility criteria and deadline dates :
https://www.gloucestershire-pcc.gov.uk/funding-opportunities/application-process/
If you have any questions, please e-mail commissioners.fund@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk
