Charities across Cleveland have benefitted from extra funding thanks to Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey.
Matt has just distributed a total of £7,615.85 from his Autumn Activity Fund to help fund activities in and around the half-term holiday period.
Grants will help to fund positive activities for young people between 26 October and 9 November, seen as a time when the potential for antisocial behaviour traditionally rises in communities.
By engaging with younger members of the community, Matt hopes to help combat antisocial behaviour (ASB) and focus young minds on more positive pastimes.
One of the projects to benefit was Hartlepool’s Community-led Inclusion Partnership (CLIP.)
Funding enabled a group of youngsters to enjoy a forest school and pottery sessions during the half term holiday.
Multi-Agency approach
Cleveland PCC Matt Storey said: “Issues like ASB will not be solved by policing alone. We need to take a multi-agency approach to tackling ASB.
“One of those approaches is to offer children and young people something constructive to do with their time.
“By inspiring their imaginations, we can show them that there is more to do with their spare time than hanging around the streets, getting bored and becoming involved in ASB.”
Police Property Act
As part of the Autumn Activity Fund, charities could apply for up to £500-worth of funding each.
Grants were funded from the Police Property Act Fund. Money from the fund comes from the sale of recovered stolen goods or property, where the owners cannot be traced.
The following is a full List of grant recipients:
- MFC Foundation, Middlesbrough – £500.00. Funding will be used for facility hire for Premier League Kicks activities. Half-term activities include 27 regular football sessions and an intra-site tournament.
- St Ann’s Partnership, Portrack and Tilery, Stockton – £500.00. The grant will be used to provide a free Halloween Party at the Willows Community Centre for up to 50 children, their parents and carers.
- Teesside Vineyard Church, Thornaby – £500.00. Funding will be used to host a free Light Party. In addition, there will be a free breakfast and craft activities for local primary-aged children on Wednesday 30 October.
- Wharton Trust, Dyke House, Hartlepool – £500.00. The grant will be used to take a group of young people ice skating, The young people will be involved in planning the trip to help develop their skills
- Junction Foundation, Tees Valley – £191.45. Funding will be used to hold three Halloween parties across Grove Hill and Breckon Hill.
- Belle Vue Community Sports and Youth Centre ltd, Hartlepool – £500.00. The grant will be used to host a Halloween-themed party on Tuesday 29 October
- Kidz Konnekt, South Bank and Grangetown – £500.00 The grant will help to fund five, activity days during half term. Activities will include sports, creative activities, outdoor adventure, music workshops, team building and trips out.
- Boosbeck Village Hall – £500.00. Funding will be used to host a free children’s Halloween disco. Cook Stars Tees Valley East will host two, low cost cooking sessions for older children and teenagers.
- Hope Church North East, Stockton – £426.00. Funding will be used to deliver a Halloween-themed disco party for seven to 12 year olds and a pizza and karaoke event for older children.
- Hardwick in Partnership Ltd, Stockton – £500.00. Funding will be used to take 25 young people to Air Trail at Tees Barrage
- 17th Teesside Boys Brigade, Middlesbrough – £500.00 The grant will be used to support a Halloween party as well as to buy a projector to use during the party and in subsequent sessions.
- Community-led Inclusion Partnership (CLIP,) Hartlepool – £500.00 Funding will be used to run a holiday scheme for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. There will be four sessions during the school holidays, including a forest school and animal therapy sessions.
- PFC Trust, Hartlepool – £500.00 The grant will be used to run a pumpkin-carving competition and trail around Hartlepool Headland Town Moor playground. Local sports clubs will take part so they can signpost young people to positive activities. The Heugh Battery Museum will extend its opening hours to coincide with the event.
- ROC Group, Tees Valley – £500.00 Funding will be used to take young people supported through the programme to bowling, cinema and Ninja Warrior. Each visit will be proceeded by activities looking at antisocial behaviour, keeping safe and hate crime awareness
- Youth Focus North East, Middlesbrough – £500.00 The charity runs weekly youth provision in East Middlesbrough; North Ormesby, Pallister Park, Park End, and Thorntree. Funding will be used to deliver a range of pop-up evening youth sessions in those areas.
- Stockton ARC – £498.40. Funding will be used to deliver the Our Stockton project to up to 20 young people. Participants, aged 11-16 and living in the TS18 postcode, will explore creatively what ASB means. A sharing event at the end of the day will allow the young people to use their work as the starting points for wider conversations around tacking ASB in their communities.