Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has awarded more than £390k of grants in 12 months to help communities combat crime and anti-social behaviour, and an Uppingham charity is one of those awarded funding from the pot.

Thirty-eight projects aimed at preventing crime have received funding since the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner opened his 2023/24 Safety Fund - providing vital funds to support the work to make the city and two counties safer.

Each bid has been subjected to a robust scrutiny process overseen by an independent panel established by the Commissioner to ensure the selected projects deliver maximum value to the public.

Crime prevention is at the heart of the PCC's Police and Crime Plan, and since his election in 2021 he has invested substantial extra funding into community-based projects that help people to live safely and reduce their risk of becoming perpetrators or victims of crime.

In fulfilling his promise to the public, the Commissioner has created a wealth of opportunities to stop reoffending, protect vulnerable people being exploited or drawn into crime and to safeguard the public from harm and nuisance behaviour.

The Commissioner has proudly boosted provision for young people, funding sports and leisure activities to create positive outlets for their energy and develop their skills and confidence. This includes St Matthew's Big Local which received support for its 'Supporting A Safer City Through Sports Engagement' and 'That Football Thing After School' projects and LMA Youth and Community Development for its Lives not Knives project. Rutland First CIC secured funding for the Uppingham Youth Space, while the Somali Community Parents Association received funding for its Keeping Young People Safe project. 

Uppingham Youth Space is a charity for children aged 11 to 16 and hosts talks, crafts, as well as providing food and drinks every Wednesday. The group runs out of Uppingham Town Hall, which has recently seen the introduction of a Victorian-style police lamp, a controversial addition among local people.

In addressing the risk of domestic abuse, the Commissioner supported Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan Trust with funding for a part-time multi-lingual domestic abuse support/outreach worker. He has also provided several grants to help tackle speeding including Twyford and Thorpe Satchville Parish Council which received funding for innovative speed warning signs that also collect data.

Mr Matthews said: "Our community partners are piloting some fantastic services to reduce vulnerability and give people the help they need to protect themselves from harm. I am proud to have supported these efforts with more than £390k of extra funding over the past 12 months.

"The vast majority of crime is preventable if we act early. This is why a significant proportion of the schemes I've supported have sought to engage young people through the medium of sport, music and other leisure pursuits to stop nuisance behaviour escalating into more serious offending. 

"I know residents have particularly welcomed the extra support to address speeding problems in their communities which is a concern mirrored across the length and the breadth of our city and two counties.

"Strong enforcement isn't the only answer to tackling crime and I've made it clear since my election that I'm determined to build resilience in our communities so crime cannot claim a foothold. Whether a target for crime or at risk of becoming a perpetrator, people deserve help to stay safe and although there is much more to do, we have already achieved great success."

Since the first funding round opened, the Commissioner has received hundreds of applications for grants in three strongly fought bidding processes.

Applications were assessed according to strict criteria including how well they addressed the priorities outlined in the Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan.