MORE vulnerable young people in Leamington could be supported thanks to police funding.
Young People First has received a share of Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe’s £300,000 Commisssioners Grants Scheme.
The cash is donated to projects geared at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour from youth clubs and road safety to support services designed to help people in the criminal justice system break the cycle of offending.
Young People First is one of 30 organisations to receive a funding boost this year.
And Mr Seccombe visited staff and young people at the Westbury Community Centre to hear about how the new funding will be used to develop an outreach service which will seek to engage young people at the locations across the community where they gather.
Jo Squires, CEO of Young People First said: ”Knowing that our youth club and outreach project are supported by Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe through his Commissioner’s Grants Scheme is so important to us at Young People First as it enables us to do more to reach some of the most vulnerable young people.
“We work hard to put young people first in everything we do and see the incredible value of providing safe spaces for young people to spend time with trusted adults and have the opportunity to take part in positive activities. Not all young people are willing to enter a youth club environment and often these are the young people most at risk.
“With the help of this funding, we are able to take our youth work to the hardest to reach young people in the spaces where they are spending their time and create safety for them there.
“Ultimately this will help divert young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour and make a significant positive impact on the community we serve in Leamington.”
Mr Seccombe added: “I’m really pleased to see how the funding from my grants scheme has been helping Young People First to expand its programme of support in Leamington. It’s vital that we have a wide programme of projects which can help divert people away from crime and anti-social behaviour. That’s been a key feature of my grants scheme and it is great to see the funding in action.”
