Community Fund projects 2022/23
On this page
- Stepping Up
- Clean Slate Solutions Women’s Project
- Community Centre Security
- Sparks Project
- Brayton Youth Connect
- Cherry Tree Lighting
- Settle Multi Use Pump Track
- Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA)
- Hawes Youth Club
- Junior Colburn Youth Project
- Selby Youth Music Project
- Spirit of Christmas – Family Christmas Parties
- Positive Change
- Art in the Groves
- Project Nova – NY
- Coppice Family Hub
- WHISH – Whitby Young People’s activity group
- York Youth bus
- Security fencing in Foxwood Park
- Online Hub
- Mobile Provision
- SELFA Wellness
- Thirsk Youth Club Continuity and Development
- Renew Youth
- Youth Renew HG1 at Harrogate Baptist Church
- Whitby Community Hub
- Chocolate & Co Café – Mansfield House, Lowther Street, The Groves, York
Stepping Up
Stepping Up (NYP & NYS & NYCC & CYC) – £20,000awarded – Countywide
The Stepping Up Project supports early intervention and prevention, by using sport to engage young people at risk of entering the criminal justice system, bringing them into a project with multi-agency support from North Yorkshire Sport, North Yorkshire County Council, City of York Council and North Yorkshire Police.
Stepping Up supports early intervention to divert young people who have not yet entered the criminal justice system, but are at risk of doing so.
The project will support young people aged 8-16 (up to 18 for those with special educational needs), with a focus on the transformational transition from primary to secondary school as a key stepping stone.
Young People referred will be supported through mentoring from an Athlete Mentor and a positive community activity.
The project will work closely with the OPFCC Change Direction service to ensure maximum benefit for the support available. Funding will support the project on a 12-month basis, allowing for expansion to a county-wide basis and for long-term funding to be secured.
Clean Slate Solutions Women’s Project
Clean Slate Solutions Amount awarded TBC – Countywide
Organisation aims to reduce reoffending and contribute to safer communities by diverting people with former convictions into meaningful, sustainable employment. 12-months funding will support a specialist Women’s Mentor to increase provision and engagement with 40 female offenders.
This is a specific role to both work with female participants and increase employer network across new and different sectors e.g. service industry, hospitality and administration, enhancing participation and specific employer engagement.
The project aims to fully engage with 30 referrals, supporting 22 into meaningful, sustainable employment, helping 5 into further education/training, finishing with employment.
The project will work closely with the Probation Service and partners, while establishing firmer links and referral routes from Kyra, Changing Lives and York Women’s Wellness Centre.
Clean Slate Solutions Women's Project- Case Study
About the Project:
The Women’s Project’s main objective is to help women with employment. Their aim is to receive forty referrals, support twenty-two into employment, and support five into further education, training, and finishing their employment.
Key Impacts from the project:
- Continue to build links with the Askham Grange prison employment lead.
- Links with Low Newton continue to progress following meetings with their lead contact.
- Our dedicated female volunteer role is progressing well, connecting on a profound level with our female candidates due her lived experience of many of the same life challenges they face upon release.
Main challenges:
- Many of the participants are busy leading to a three-tiered approach; emailing them to ask for a meeting, then physically going to them, and finally having a ‘warmed up’ introduction from the partnership colleagues.
- The low referral numbers, so a new approach is being created to increase future referrals.
Good News/Positive Feedback/Personal Stories:
After being released from HMP Askham Grange, a woman found her family home in a state of despair as her husband had left, leaving the eldest son to care for the children. This led to the house and the garden being ignored. Clean Slate Solutions helped with the garden with the support of corporate partners who donated a skip and gardening tool. This allowed the woman to focus on her career and new job.
Community Centre Security
Chain Lane Community Hub – £1,671.99 awarded – Harrogate
Aiming to improve community safety and security, reducing ASB in the local area, this one-off funding will support a Dorguard, canopy to support front door key code system and fire alarm to link the system to burglar alarm monitoring company.
Sparks Project
Sparks Project – £10,000.00 awarded – Scarborough
SPARKS is a community based organisation located in a priority area, offering a range of interventions for the local community.
This includes life skills, parenting skills, health and wellbeing, support to improve mental & physical health, support for ex-offenders and addicts, debt support, education / training / employment support and counselling.
This one-off funding will support 12-months work towards these initiatives, enabling an accessible resource for the community and aiming to improve relationships with the police.
Brayton Youth Connect
Selby District Association of Voluntary Services – £10,060.00 awarded – Selby
Funding will support delivery of a diversion project aimed at 30, targeted, young people aged 12-17 involved in anti-social behaviour and local damage.
The project aims to create a link with the Community Centre and develop young people’s leadership skills to run their own positive activities.
The project will consist of outreach youthwork engagement sessions, 24-weeks delivery from Flying Futures Youth and a 25hr Active Leader training course for peer-leader training.
Young people will co-produce the project design to support engagement.
Project will link with the Community Safety Hub, schools, NYP, OPFCC Change Direction Service and other partners to ensure a targeted approach for referrals and joined-up approach to delivery.
Brayton Youth Connect- Case Study
About the Project:
Brayton Youth Connect is a diversionary and desistance project aimed at young people aged 12-17, to help run positive activities for themselves and their peers at the YO8 Youth Club and to create a connection to Brayton Community Centre.
Over a twenty-week period, Flying Futures, a youth activity provider, and their multi-activity minibus visited weekly. Throughout the duration of the project, each member took part in the 25-hour Active Leader training course to develop their leadership skills.
The project aimed to work with 30 young people, and this figure was exceeded.
Key Impacts from the project:
- Decline in low level anti-social behaviour directed at the community centre users.
- Reduction in calls to the police and partner agencies.
- Positive feedback from the owners and users of the community centre.
- Resources donated by parents, improving relationships with young people.
- Brayton Academy is now working to promote the YO8 Youth Club, while the project has fixed the floodlighting in their sports facilities to make it safer to use.
Main challenges:
- Engagement with older young people for the Active Leaders course was challenging.
Good News/Positive Feedback/Personal Stories:
- Donation from Brayton Parish Council donated after seeing the impact the project has achieved.
- The project has established the centre and surrounding facilities as a focal point for young people to do what they want in a safe and playful environment.
Cherry Tree Lighting
Friends of Aireville Park – £9,000.00 awarded – Craven
Funding will support installation of lighting along the path, to the wooded area at the park entrance and to the new housing estate to the East of the park.
There has never been lighting in this main section of the park and at night (including after 4pm in the winter) it is nearly pitch black. By lighting the path, the aim is to improve safety after dark and enable locals to feel confident about walking, addressing the feel safe aspect of the Police and Crime Plan.
Settle Multi Use Pump Track
Settle Town Council – £7,500.00 awarded – Craven
Funding will support development of multi-use tarmacked and landscaped track, creating a sports facility for use by bikes, BMX, scooters, roller blades, skate boards etc.
It will be floodlit to increase safety and usage in the darker winter months and ensure the site can be naturally surveyed.
A lack of provision in the local area and an increase in ASB have been identified as issues that this project aims to address, together with increasing feelings of safety and cohesion.
Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA)
Thirsk Primary School – £10,000.00 awarded – Hambleton
Funding will support construction costs of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) that will be available for school use during school hours and for community use outside school hours/term times.
The facility will offer formal and informal opportunities for sport and recreation and will be used to deliver activities to support young people in an area of deprivation.
Activities will improve health and wellbeing and provide positive diversionary activities and experiences, aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour, raising self-esteem, and helping communities feel safe.
Hawes Youth Club
Hawes Youth Club – £5,440.00 awarded – Richmondshire
Funding will support the youth club over a 39-week period. The young people will work with youth workers on how they want the club to look, painting murals, making their own soft furnishings.
Once set up, the young people would like to be able to access leisure facilities/activities to help build their confidence and resilience. The youth club will be inclusive of all young people 11-19 and the club will ensure links with local Neighbourhood Police Team, Community Safety Hub and School Liaison Officer to support a targeted approach to referrals and club delivery times that meet local need.
Hawes Youth Club- Case Study
About the Project:
This project provides a safe, warm non- judgemental environment for young people to learn, have fun, feel valued and have a voice in the community. Due to rural isolation the young people are able to access activities in the wider community that they would not normally be able to.
The specific aims of this funding were to improve links between the local Neighbourhood Police Team, Community Safety Hub and the local School Liaison Officer, together with improving the environment within the existing facilities.
Key Impacts from the project:
- There has been regular communication with the local police, and they have visited the youth club and members on a few occasions.
- Visits from the School Liaison Officer have taken place.
- Issue-based workshops have taken place.
Main challenges:
- A damp issue in the room needs to be resolved before redecorating can take place.
Good News/Positive Feedback/Personal Stories:
- More than 25 young people now attend the Youth Club each week.
- Project is obtaining extra funding for a further Youth Worker to support with capacity.
Junior Colburn Youth Project
Colburn Youth – £4,500.00 awarded – Richmondshire
Funding will support 6-10 year olds to become involved in the Colburn Youth Project, to support greater understanding of their situations, emotions, concerns and issues that have mostly been either brought about, or exasperated by the pandemic.
Colbourn Youth aim to work with this age group twice a week in a variety of settings, including outreach.
Colbourn Youth will ensure links with local Neighbourhood Police Team, Military Police Team at Catterick Garrison, Community Safety Hub and School Liaison Officer to support a targeted approach to referrals and club delivery times that meet local need.
Selby Youth Music Project
North Yorkshire Youth – £5,000.00 awarded – Selby
Funding will support a pilot music project targeted at young people from Selby and surrounding villages who are participating in the Commissioner’s commissioned Change Direction service and their peers.
2-hour weekly workshop sessions, delivered over 8 weeks, will take a group of 12 young people on a creative journey to collaboratively write their own spoken word song.
Participants will use their experiences to highlight a common issue e.g., mental health, service access, struggles in school. In the second phase, beneficiaries will record their group song over music and will produce a powerful video, supported by ‘Inspired Youth Arts’.
Spirit of Christmas – Family Christmas Parties
Spirit of Christmas – £1,000.00 awarded from the Police Property Fund – Selby and York
Funding will enable three family Christmas parties for 320 children plus adults, to take place in priority areas in Selby and Acomb.
The project will allow families to attend a 2-hour party where they can meet, chat, network and allow children to have fun in a safe environment and not have to worry about costs.
Children will also visit Santa and receive a present, with the project also donating books to children to promote reading.
The project will work with three primary schools in Selby that operate in the two deprived wards to invite families most in need to the event and York Youth Justice Service to identify families to attend the event in Acomb.
On Wednesday 16 November Commissioner Zoë’s Community Engagement Officer attended an open day in Selby by the Spirit of Christmas Charity who specialise in providing for children at Christmas.
At the open day they got to experience exchanging the provided pretend invite to enter their wonderful Christmas toy shop followed by going through to the Christmas wrapping paper station room should they want the presents wrapped for Christmas Day.
The charity is a recent recipient of the Commissioner’s Community Fund and was awarded £1,000.00 which will go towards helping them achieve the following:
- Run Christmas parties in December 2022 (in the Selby and York regions) for low-income families
- Help run their Christmas Toy Bank in Selby where families are invited to come and select presents from their “shop” for their children.
- Help provide pupils from local primary schools with a Christmas present.
- Also go toward their all-year run project ‘Banana Box Toy Project’ that gives away boxes of educational and special education needs toys to families who are struggling. We cover a 30 mile radius of Selby and have delivered boxes to families in York, Tadcaster, Sherburn, Acomb, Harrogate and Ripon. They do this through a referral system used by local foodbank, schools, council services etc. Last year they catered for 490 children via this project.
A big thank you to Ronnie; Dianne; Wendy; and all the lovely enthusiastic volunteers for a festive event as well as getting to see and hear all about the project and future plans.
Positive Change
York School Sport Network – £10,080.00 awarded – York
Funding will support diversionary activity project in Westfield area of York with targeted young people.
The aim of the project is to engage young people at the earliest opportunity in positive physical activity, allowing them to build their self-confidence and resilience.
Project is a result of North Yorkshire Police problem-solving plan in local area. The project is designed to reduce the instances of anti social behaviour on an evening.
If successful, the concept can be rolled out in other areas of York.
Utilising the knowledge pastoral leads have of individual pupils at York High School, specific pupils will be targeted for this project.
Project will link with other partners and services to ensure a targeted approach to referrals and key delivery times, including Change Direction, Stepping Up Project, Youth Justice Service, NYP Boxing Project ‘Fighting for Communities’.
Once the young people have been identified, they will be asked what sort of activities they want to do to support engagement.
Art in the Groves
The Groves Association – £5,000.00 awarded – York
This project is part of a wider initiative between the Groves Association, the police, City of York Council (CYC) and several community based support agencies to make the Groves and surrounding areas covered by the recent public space protection order, including Clarence Street and Union Terrace, a safer, more welcoming and attractive community space for the benefit of local residents and the wider public.
The project aims to achieve this through enhancing the appearance of the area with a series of art and craft installations at locations agreed by CYC and the police, and by working with offenders as part of a resettlement and rehabilitation programme.
Project Nova – NY
Project Nova – £16,247.86 awarded – Countywide
Forces employment charity supporting veterans in the criminal justice system to re-engage in employment and training. Funding will support one-year caseworker role, specific to North Yorkshire.
Coppice Family Hub
Coppice Valley Primary School – £13,790.00 awarded – Harrogate
Funding will support refurbishment of ‘family hub’ on school site, with the aim of targeting support at vulnerable pupils and families. Hub will provide additional support e.g. breakfast clubs, emotional and mental health support, parenting support. Project will work closely with NYP and partners to maximise benefit of the Hub to the wider community.
WHISH – Whitby Young People’s activity group
WHISH – Whitby Hidden Impairments Support and Help – £3,024.00 awarded – Scarborough
Funding will support a calendar of activities specifically for children and young people – aged 10 – 18 – with Hidden Impairments living in Whitby and the surrounding areas.
The project will focus on learning, social and personal development in partnership with other agencies to support consistent messages.
Sessions will include internet safety, social media awareness, online grooming, alongside arts and crafts, sporting activities, competitions and music plus supervised gaming sessions.
York Youth bus
Inspire Youth – £19,200.00 awarded – York
Funding will enable 48-week mobile youth delivery project in York following a successful pilot.
The project will be delivered in four locations across York, determined through local intelligence led by NYP and partners.
The project will engage with 200 young people and be open to 8–14-year-olds, who may be at risk of entering the criminal justice system, whilst being open to all young people and offered free of charge.
The partnership project will link with North Yorkshire Police, York Youth Justice Service, Community Safety Hub and North Yorkshire Youth Change Direction.
On Wednesday 14 June, Commissioner Zoë and her Community Engagement Officer were invited to Scarcroft Green in York to visit the Youth Bus, run by Jess Ward founder of Inspire Youth Yorkshire.
Jess applied for the Commissioner’s Community Fund last year and was awarded £19,200.00. The funding enables a 48 week mobile Youth Bus for the city of York to engage with around 200 young people some of who may be at risk of entering the criminal justice system. This project is delivered across four areas of the city, which were determined through local intelligence led by North Yorkshire Police and linking in with key local partners such as York Youth Justice Service, Community Safety Hub and North Yorkshire Youth Change Direction.
The Youth Bus visits this venue every Wednesday evening from 4:30-6pm and is offered free of charge. It attracts young people between the ages of 8-14 years who come to socialise, play card games, video games, and sports activities, in a safe space.
Thanks so much to Jess and PCSO Danny Stannard for arranging the visit.
Image features Commissioner Zoë, York Youth Bus Staff and PCSO Danny Stannard
Security fencing in Foxwood Park
Cllr Stephen Fenton, on behalf of the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward Team – £10,000.00 awarded – York
As part of a wider, multi-agency problem-solving approach to local community safety issues, funding will support metal security fencing along one boundary of Foxwood Park, in the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward in York, with the aim of reducing criminal and anti-social behaviour, whilst enhancing residents’’ safety.
Online Hub
Door 84 Youth and Community Centre – £7,374.00 awarded – York
Funding will support the set up of a gaming hub part as part of the wider Door 84 project, targeted at young people at risk of exploitation.
Door 84 supports young people and adults with disabilities and will work with other providers and NYP Digital PCSOs to provide issue-based sessions, with the aim of progressing the young people into Door 84 main provision.
Mobile Provision
St Giles Trust – £20,000 awarded – Countywide
St. Giles Trust have secured £25,000 internal funding towards a mobile provision. PFCC funding will support the purchase of a B1 converted transit van. The van will be used to provide a safe, gender specific, multi-agency service to women who are: victims/at risk of harm and hidden harms (including sexual exploitation); with multiple unmet needs; with substance misuse issues; at risk of entering, or currently involved with, the Criminal Justice System.
The mobile provision will work across York and North Yorkshire and initially target women who face barriers to accessing services such as those in rural, isolated areas, starting in Scarborough and Ryedale.
Practical, emotional and well-being support will be provided by outreach staff alongside sign-posting into local services.
Women can self-refer or be referred through partner agencies. Links have been formed with key partners to help target areas of need.
SELFA Wellness
SELFA – £16,242.00 awarded – Craven
12-months funding (36 sessions) will support two weekly after-school youth clubs for up to 20 vulnerable girls aged 11-19.
Sessions will promote social interaction, independence and increased self-confidence. The groups will be led by a member of the LGBTQAI community and two other women including a counsellor.
Project will target those referrals where children have been identified at risk by the referrer and in need of early intervention, as well as emotional and behavioural issues being displayed by the girls. These referrals will primarily come through the early intervention route from primary schools, community safety hub, health visitors, NYCC early help and social services.
Thirsk Youth Club Continuity and Development
Thirsk Youth Club – £19,500.00 awarded – Hambleton
Following an increase in attendance of young people and a need to support older young people transition into adulthood, 12-months funding will expand and develop Thirsk Youth Club, enabling greater access for a wider range of targeted young people in an age suitable environment.
Project aims to increase session numbers (4/week including holidays) and length with age specific groups, support development of older young people as peer leaders and support staff consistency enabling greater engagement. Local consultation has identified need for service and partners links made to support a joined-up approach.
Renew Youth
The Living Rooms (TLR) Northallerton – £14,863.00 awarded – Hambleton
Funding will support a pilot project to extend TLR’s provision, offering a weekly after school session for young people (11s-18s).
This project will use an established and successful model, adapted to support young people who struggle with their emotional wellbeing and mental health.
The service will offer diversionary activities based around the five ways to wellbeing and will improve social cohesion and public safety, limit offending and reduce the propensity for young people to become victims of crime.
The project has been developed by qualified youth workers in collaboration with community partners. The project aims for young people to co-design the service and offer mutual support to each other, both within the sessions and out in the community.
Youth Renew HG1 at Harrogate Baptist Church
Harrogate Baptist Church – £ award to be confirmed – Harrogate
Funding will pilot a brand-new initiative seeking to offer early intervention, mental health provision for young people aged between 11-16.
The project will provide an afterschool space within easy walking distance of 5 Harrogate senior schools. Referrals will be made via the school and other professionals, specifically targeting young people who are struggling with their mental or emotional wellbeing, feeling anxious or isolated, and/or struggling to develop meaningful friendships and those for whom early intervention would be beneficial.
Project aims to support 15 young people, reduce the need for CAMHS intervention and promote cohesion amongst schools.
Whitby Community Hub
Whitby Railway Community Shop Ltd – £1,000.00 awarded – Scarborough
Funding will re-launch a volunteer Community shop with a ‘Warm Place Café’, noticeboards, events etc. as ‘Community Support Hub’ to offer a welcoming space for those isolated, vulnerable or less resilient by Covid and by the community resources that have shut down.
Project aims to increase network of helpers and create a solid support system, with information, social events and publicity.
Chocolate & Co Café – Mansfield House, Lowther Street, The Groves, York
Chocolate & Co. – £18,528.00 awarded – York
Funding will support the staffing set up for a new hospitality venue in the Groves to address the gap in York’s employment market, offering paid work to those facing barriers, due to addiction or having a criminal record.
Project will build a framework for other employers within York, to replicate the model, with Chocolate & Co providing the mentoring support for both the employee & the employer, aiming for more employment opportunities for people within beneficiary groups amongst the smaller York based companies.
Partner involvement from City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police and others will take place to ensure a joined-up approach.