More than £50,000 invested in youth activities

Article date: July 25th 2024

The investment has been announced by the region's Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, and the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) through their new Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) designed to help prevent spikes in violence and antisocial behaviour over the summer holidays, autumn half term and other key times by engaging and supporting young people.

The money has been awarded to four brilliant grassroots community organisations to provide free, safe, positive activities for thousands of young people, helping them to gain new skills, increase their confidence and resilience and fill their time with memorable experiences over the school holidays.

Serious violence has already fallen by 23 per cent across Merseyside in the past three years and in the past year alone there has been a decrease of 47.9 per cent in hotspot areas.

This funding is focused on driving those figures down even further by providing funding to organisations which are working with vulnerable young people and in the areas hardest hit by cuts.

The YES brings together two successful funding pots - the Police and Crime Commissioner's Youth Diversion Fund and the MVRP's Arts | Culture | Sports Fund - to create one new super youth fund designed to provide bigger grants to reach more young people through even more ambitious and engaging projects.

Merseyside's Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, said: "From graffiti and art classes to music sessions and DJing, our successful YES projects are set to offer a treasure trove of activities and opportunities for young people across our region all focused on keeping them safe and preventing them from getting drawn into harmful behaviour.

"We know that young people overwhelmingly want to spend their time doing something positive.

"But sadly, after years of budget cuts those opportunities aren't always available to them. We know the school summer holidays, when there are long light nights with little for young people to do, can often be the time when they are vulnerable to getting enticed into activities which be antisocial, criminal, or even dangerous.

"Serious violence is already falling in our region. Through our Youth Empowerment Scheme, we're determined to prevent even more youngsters getting drawn into crime and instead give them the chance to try exciting new experiences, gain qualifications and broaden their horizons.

"By doing so, we are creating brighter futures for them, while helping to create nicer, better places to live, and reducing the burden on the police during peaks times of the year."

Councillor Trisha Long, Cabinet Member for Supporting Neighbourhoods, said: "This is fantastic news for young people in our borough! They will be able to benefit from more than £50,000 of investment into community projects for activities like DJing, parkour, dance, art and drama. This will give them a great opportunity to meet with friends, make new ones, and focus their energy on positive activities that will hopefully spark new passions and build their ambitions."

St Helens - four successful projects sharing a total of £54,675 to offer activities for 730 beneficiaries

·       Parr - People Empowered CIC - £22,282 - 350 beneficiaries - to deliver weekly diversionary activities for 10-25-year-olds including art, dance, and drama.

·       Blackbrook - Powered by Hip Hop - £7,393 - 100 beneficiaries - to provide graffiti, DJing and parkour activities regularly and through summer and October half term.

·       Town Centre - St Helens YMCA - £12,500 - 130 beneficiaries - to deliver creative and active sessions to young people beginning in July, as well as offering leadership training to a small number of participants.

·       Parr - Vibe - £12,500 - 150 beneficiaries - to engage and divert young people away from antisocial behaviour through a range of activities, sessions exploring themes such as relationships and choices/consequences and potential accreditation through the Lord Derby award.