New Community Initiative Fund by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner
New £200,000 Community Initiatives Fund launched by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner to community and voluntary organisations to help overcome social effects of Coronavirus isolation
The new Community Initiatives Fund which comes into effect on Wednesday 1st July 2020, will be funded from money which has been allocated from items seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Each year, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner invites local community groups to bid for a grant from the existing Active Citizens Fund which is money which must go into community projects and cannot be spent on recruiting Police officers. The Community Initiatives Fund temporarily replaces the Active Citizens Fund.
Following a surge in voluntary and community activity to help vulnerable people during the COVID 19 crisis, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, has made £200,000 available over the next six months, to support active citizenship within local communities.
Sandwell will have £15,000 to spend on projects which tackle vulnerability, fear of crime and work with the WMP response to COVID
Criteria
• Digital formats contacts with the public supporting vulnerable via media social media etc, IT equipment, youth online media , networking communities
• Social isolation and mental health
• Elderly vulnerable supporting them, food, tackling elder abuse , communication
• Families food poverty, support for children and families especially as the schools could be closed over summer, demand on Police, Mash, Foodbank etc
• Domestic Violence this is a key matter across force we should consider this for some bids, families isolating together with a DV perpetrator,
• Consideration for messaging support to BME/Eastern European groups around support on reporting Domestic Violence plus advice on Social Distancing
• Encouraging Communities to sign up to WM NowThere is a maximum bid of £5k
This is the link to the detail on the OPCC website which includes process map and also the documents for organisations to complete https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/community-initiatives-fund/.