Community Fund projects 2023/24

York Masters and New Earswick Boxing and Fitness Club

York Masters Boxing Club –  £15,454.00 awarded –  York

Funding will support groundworks and electric elements of building a new gym and supporting the club to move. The club presently delivers sessions for people aged 11-80+ years, through a mix of targeted and open sessions, including service to York’s homeless by working with them in providing a safe place to go, client led sessions supported by homeless, mental health and drug and alcohol service and providers, early intervention and prevention, providing young people with a safe place, sense of discipline and healthy activities working with stakeholders such as youth offending and probation services (plus any other agencies) to receive referrals, women only supported by Chocolate and Co (including referrals from IDAS), 55+years. Project also facilitate victim predator groups with all agencies including the Police to identify victims of bullying, harassment and cuckooing etc. in order to have an outlet. Key locations have been discussed and project will work with other service providers in these areas for a targeted approach.

Diversionary activities for children and young people across West of York

City of York Council – £12,910.00 awarded –  York

Funding will support diversionary activities for young people across the West of York with focus on wards with highest Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and reported incidents of ASB. Inspire Youth Yorkshire, York City Football Club Foundation, York RLFC Foundation and Henry’s Boxing Gym will deliver activities aimed at late primary and secondary age group children throughout the year. Sessions will be free to attend, with an option to either book in advance or turn up on the day. Some sessions will run simultaneously, with referral system in place enabling delivery partners to link and sign post young people to their respective sessions in the area and elsewhere in York. This work will help to grow existing relationships with local young people and offer continuity of provision. Partners will collaborate offering informal education and raising awareness of some negative behaviours in the area, which we anticipate will reduce anti-social behaviour. The project aims to reduce anti-social behaviour, respond to the voices of young people and offer activities that will attract and excite them to engage, whilst having a safe space and access to trusted adults. The project aims to facilitate additional positive role model presence and interaction with young people using constructive and healthy activities as a vehicle.

ABC Programme (Attitudes Behaviours Challenge)

Squaring Up Training – £6,357.00 awarded –  Harrogate, Selby, York

Funding will enable delivery of 5 train the trainer ABC (Attitudes Behaviours Challenge) programmes. Once staff are trained to deliver the ABC Programme, they are free to use it as a universal tool across schools and young people’s services. Programme is aimed at raising awareness of violence against women and girls through;
Session 1: Identity Envelopes (exploring the young males values and principles)
Session 2: Dangerous Expectations (exploring the expectations of females)
Session 3: Music To My Ears (exploring the derogatory language used by youths)
Session 4: Toxic Relationships (exploring domestic violence, controlling behaviours etc)
Session 5: ABC- Attitude Behaviour Challenge (exploring challenging the behaviour of others).
Project will work in partnership to ensure a targeted approach for all location/establishment identification and delivery.

North Yorkshire Connected Spaces (NYCS) Boxing Club and Family Matters

North Yorkshire Connected Spaces (NYCS) –  £5,000.00 awarded –  Harrogate

The volunteer ran group of lived experience peers at North Yorkshire Connected Spaces aim to run two weekly boxing clubs. The first weekly session is to engage members of the community that are in active addiction or are currently in recovery from substance misuse. Sessions aim to promote recovery by enabling active drug users into a recovery network, by using boxing to promote change and offer opportunities for personal development and peer support. The second boxing session is aimed at young people aged 11+ that are affected by addiction, such as a family member that is in active addiction or recovery. The session aims to bring together young people that are facing similar challenges and use this as a support network, to offer support, an opportunity to promote change and promote healthy wellbeing. This is also a preventative intervention, aimed at diverting people away from entering the criminal justice system and linking them into positive and prosocial peers.

Safe Improvements to Temple Gardens – A Community Project

Community Safety Hub and North Yorkshire Police – £8,853.99 awarded – Harrogate

This project is a response to crime and anti-social behaviour being experienced in a specific location in Ripon, namely Temple Gardens, with an aim to target harden the site and make it a safer place for the community. The proposed work to carry out includes the removal of overgrown foliage and trees which provide an element of concealment for potential crime and anti-social behaviour to take place therefore making a clearer view for patrolling police, the removal and replacement of currently damaged benches, installation of new iron railings and gates to both entrances to ensure the site is secure and can be locked if required, add motion sensor lighting to cover both entrances to improve the visibility and natural surveillance of the area. Once the area is made secure, project will enlist the involvement of students in local schools and youth groups to produce design ideas to contribute to how they would like the area to look. By getting young people involved and taking responsibility for the area this should aid in maintaining it once the project is completed. Funding will aid a key community location in becoming a welcoming and inviting space, increase safety, reduce fear of crime and anti-social behaviour, prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, and encourage the space to be used positively by local residents and visitors.

SELFA Wellness

SELFA – £12,505.29 awarded –  Craven

Funding will widen the reach of the current SELFA Wellness project to target new members. Project will run weekly after-school youth clubs for up to 20 vulnerable girls aged 11-19 which will promote social interaction, independence and increased self-confidence. Young people who have Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) and those on the autistic spectrum who have emotional and behavioural support needs and have been identified at risk of either being victims of crime or being involved in criminal behaviour and in need of early intervention will be targeted through local links with partners. Project will use existing links with local Broughton Road community groups with the aim to diversify the project in terms of ethnicity to reflect the wider community. SELFA will expand existing links with other local organisations, including NYFRS and support the girls to access Fire Cadets, North Yorkshire Youth through their Change Direction worker and the proposed new youth groups they are setting up at Broughton Road Community Centre, to ensure that those young people who are eligible and may face barriers can access the groups. Project will provide an opportunity for girls to make friends and receive mentoring support, encouraging referrals from secondary schools, the community safety hub, health visitors, North Yorkshire Council early help and social services. School holiday sessions will also focus on building self-esteem, confidence and resilience through small group activities.

Police Naloxone

North Yorkshire Horizons in Partnership with North Yorkshire Police – £18,863.50 awarded – Countywide

North Yorkshire Horizons will train & supply up 350 Police Officers across North Yorkshire with Nasal Naloxone. Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose removing the opiate effects while restoring normal breathing to a person. 25 Police forces across the UK are now piloting naloxone with many forces reporting over 30 uses of naloxone in a short space of time. Further support and encouragement from the National Police Chief’s Council has just been communicated, with clinical governance sign off. This project will further strengthen the partnership collaboration around Naloxone that is already in place across North Yorkshire, including the Tees Esk Wear Valley Mental Health Trust and the National Probation Service all signing up to carrying or having Naloxone on site. This project also further supports the North Yorkshire & York Drug Strategy working towards the government’s targets of reducing drug related deaths across the country. The project will buy 400 naloxone kits to allow 350 officers to be trained and hold 50 kits for replacement due to usage or loss.

Emergency Bleed Control Kits

North Yorkshire Council – Community Safety Officer £19,728.00 awarded – Countywide

With funding from both the Community Fund and Serious Violence Duty Prevention and Intervention fund to maximise coverage, this project will fund the installation of 42 emergency bleed control kits throughout North Yorkshire and City of York. Currently there are no kits situated in the footprint of North Yorkshire, except in the City of York. These kits will add value to communities by providing specialist medical equipment to control catastrophic bleeds, predominantly aimed toward knife inflicted injuries but also other emergencies, such as car accidents. These kits aim to provide a form of tertiary prevention by managing an already inflicted injury – to reduce the chances of these injuries proving fatal whilst medical help arrives. This potentially life-saving equipment can be accessed by any member of the public by calling 999 and gaining the code, to utilise and increase the chances of survival to someone suffering from significant blood loss. This project would be an extension of the knife drop bin project. The knife bin initiative seeks to be a form of primary prevention by preventing knives from being used in the first instance and reducing knife-enabled crime. In conjunction the bleed control kits would aim to provide a layer of tertiary prevention, by mediating an already inflicted injury and reduce the harmful consequences. Medical equipment within the cabinets expires in May 2028. To ensure the longevity of this project the funding also incorporates the cost of replenishing the medical equipment inside the cabinets once they pass their expiration date.

Actions Have Consequences

Actions Have Consequences (AHC) – £5,000.00 awarded  – Countywide

The aim of AHC is to address the resource gap, support, advise and deliver Road Safety presentations to young adults (16–24-year-olds). Actions Have Consequences (AHC) is a bespoke one-hour educational road safety presentation that emphasizes the importance of responsible behaviour on the road. It covers KSI (Killed and Seriously Injured) causation factors such as speeding, driving under the influence of drugs and / or alcohol. The presentation uses real-life examples and statistics to illustrate the consequences of poor driving, such as injury or death, legal repercussions, and financial costs. AHC highlights the impact of dangerous driving on other people, including the emergency services, and bereaved family members. The presentation aims to encourage safe and responsible behaviour on the road by educating drivers about the potential consequences of their actions. Project provides practical tips and strategies for reducing risk, such as obeying traffic laws, avoiding distractions, and staying alert behind the wheel.

IT and Internet Safety

Ripon Community Link – £2,224.14 awarded –  Harrogate

Ripon Community Link supports 55 adults and young people with mild and moderate learning difficulties. Members are offered supported day care activities to develop skills and grow in confidence, overcome barriers to disability. Funding will purchase 3 additional laptops and support the implementation of an internet safety course for members with learning disabilities, tailored to their unique needs and levels of understanding to keep them safe. The course will be a 6-8 week course and include bullying, grooming, spending money online, social networks and safety. Project aims to educate on the dangers and opportunities and to break down barriers to disability. Funding will enable the project to run the course for a course leader and 6 individual members.

Ripon Community Link Community Fund Project

7th House set up costs

Lifeline Harrogate –  £6,140.00 awarded – Harrogate

Funding will support the initial set up costs of an additional supported accommodation venue in Harrogate, enabling the house to be furnished and compliant, including fire alarms, fire doors etc. The new house will add value by reducing the waiting list of vulnerable people currently sofa surfing, or on the street and therefore take more people away from the risk of crime and anti-social behaviour. Lifeline is the only organisation in Harrogate and its surrounding areas that provides this sort of supported accommodation to people who are vulnerable, homeless or have been in prison.

Safe Space Diversionary Sessions

YMCA Scarborough – £19,998.00 awarded – Scarborough

Funding will enable delivery of 2 x 2 hour sessions/week of centre-based youth work provision. Sessions will be delivered by suitably skilled and experienced professional youth workers. The project is about creating a safe space for young people who feel unsafe or need some breathing space, as well as sessions for young people who are at risk of involvement in anti-social behaviour. To meet both these criteria, sessions will be run at times that other provisions are not available, determined through liaising with network of youth work providers in the town. Young people participating in Scarborough Youth Council meetings, and ongoing feedback from the young people in contact with YMCA have specifically requested to fill the gaps when other provision is not available, so that there is a ‘safe space’ for them to be. YMCA Scarborough will ensure links with the Community Impact Team, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Council, OPFCC Commissioned Providers and other local partners, to support a targeted approach to identifying young people to engage and participate in the project.

Spirit of Christmas – Family Christmas Parties

Spirit of Christmas – £1,152.00 awarded – Selby and York

Funding will support the Family Christmas Party project in Acomb and Selby, linked with Youth Justice Services. A different group of young people get involved in the preparations for and running of three Christmas parties in their locality. Funding will support family Christmas parties catering for 320 children plus adults. 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. Families come from known areas of deprivation in York and Selby. Project will work with social services to identify families to attend the event in Acomb.

Building a better Hut – Phase 3

The Hut – £10,800.00 awarded – York

Funding will support specific aspects of Phase 3 of The Hut’s wider project building refurbishment. This final phase will complete capital works and bring the site up to spec. The grant will support the cost of replacing the exterior doors in the main building – installing 2 x power assisted doors (boosting accessibility to ensure members are able to access the building independently) and 1 x access controlled door (ensuring security of the site for members and especially for any staff working late and/or lone working). In 2015, The Hut had 55 registered members; this has now grown to over 100.

Our Park – Hull Road Park a Space for Girls’ project

The Conservation Volunteers – £8,200.00 awarded – York

Funding will support engagement opportunity for young people, focusing on girls, enabling them to connect with their local green space, have a sense of belonging and promote wellbeing and self-esteem. Local youthwork has identified a desire for a small girls’ group, where they can meet with peers and trusted adults to learn new skills in a calm environment, with the opportunity to share concerns, ask questions or find information on issues themselves or their friends may be facing. The grant will fund the development of the weekly group, for 10-20 targeted young people and positive activities, using the Choose2Youth Community café in the park as a base and to provide a meal for participants.

City-wide Public Access Trauma Kits (PAcT) for a safer and more secure city centre.

Make it York – £2,800.00 awarded – York

Funding will purchase up to 20 x Public Access Trauma (PAcT) kits to be distributed across the city in a range of businesses and venues (retail, hospitality and offices), which will increase the city’s resilience for any untoward attack, together with a promotional awareness campaign via participating businesses, North Yorkshire Police, City of York Council, York BID and Make It York. In the event of a major incident, the city will be prepared to treat victims with emergency first aid care. The wide network and campaign aims to help to deter potential offenders carrying out surveillance in the city. Once the kits are in place, they will provide an ongoing reassurance. Training through City of Yor Council will support the roll out of the kits.

Project Harm Reduction

North Yorkshire Police & NYC Public Health – ££16,665.00 awarded – Countywide

Funding will enable 12-month drug analysis project across North Yorkshire, using the services of Mandrake Laboratory in Manchester. Mandrake is England’s first publicly funded permanent city-centre based testing and harm reduction facility, supporting open science and agencies working towards safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the public.

The partnership is working on a number of intelligence sharing projects to safeguard communities through drug awareness & harm-reduction.

The project will send 60 samples per annum, 5 per month decided by a multi-agency panel that will be analysed by Mandrake. Each test will identify substance, purity and contaminates.

This project will support & work with other harm reduction initiatives like Not My Child Campaign, Drink Drug Hub & Change Direction to educate people in North Yorkshire around the risks from illicit drugs, also allowing tailored training around those substances identified.

North Yorkshire’s partnership approach to recognising and responding to Harmful Sexual Behaviours in Children

North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership – £7,500.00 awarded – Countywide

Funding will enable the NSPCC to support North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership’s approach to recognising and responding to Harmful Sexual Behaviours (HSB) in Children. This will include a thorough root and branch audit of the current HSB position, identifying strengths and weaknesses and providing a clear and robust multi-agency plan that builds confidence in identifying and working with HSB incidents and creates a shared use of language.

This NSPCC multi-agency audit and subsequent support in the form of action plans, facilitation of launch events and framework implementation will ensure a consistent approach.

The NSPCC will provide action planning support, framework implementation sessions to focus in on agreed areas and explore with the strategic group the best way to implement plans.

Partners will be able to access ongoing support and consultation from an Implementation Manager throughout the audit process.

Once the project has been completed there is ongoing access to annual practice events for areas who have completed the audit, to share best practice, findings and get support from each other.

Fun bikes trailer

Resurrection Bikes – £1,500.00 awarded – Harrogate

Funding will enable the purchase of a large box trailer to support ‘fun bikes’ events.

Sessions will encourage people to ride around a circuit for fun and rediscover the joy of cycling as well as building confidence in cycling generally.

The trailer is needed to avoid the need for rented vans to deliver the bikes to events which would add significantly to costs, potentially making the events hard to afford for some users.

The project will link with local partners to ensure a targeted approach to delivery, including bike safety.

Free Play Football in association with Premier League Kicks

Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation – £10,605.00 awarded – Harrogate

Funding will support delivery of diversionary football project, to engage young people between the ages of 11-17 years, as a form of early intervention and to enrich young people’s lives through targeted activities and workshops focused on supporting their personal, social and educational development, in a safe and trusting environment.

Established model of informal open access play sessions provide young people with an opportunity to participate in constructive activities in the evening and school holidays, with free football activities at three venues across Harrogate.

Project will work in partnership with the Council, Police, Youth Justice & Community Safety Hub partners, to create a joint referral pathway and support other interventions, with a focus on engagement, participation and prevention.

Community Games Court

Hipswell Parish Council – £2,000.00 awarded – Richmondshire

Funding will revitalise and bring back a disused public tennis court into use on Hipswell (Catterick Garrison) Playing Field.

This is phase 2 of an ongoing programme to create and improve community spaces for young people in the parish. Renovation of the tennis court area will provide an enclosed area for not only tennis but ball games and provide something similar to a multi- use games area (MUGA) for young people as well as serving the wider community.

Project will link locally with the Community Safety Hub and police team to ensure a targeted approach to engagement.

Mindspace

Scarborough Whitby and Ryedale Mind (SWRM) – £20,000.00 awarded – Scarborough and Ryedale

Following a successful pilot, funding will support new 12-month project for 60 young people(YP), 11-16 with SEMH needs (social, emotional, mental health), entirely coproduced by over 300 young people.

MindSpace has 3 elements; monthly ‘dry pub’ in 3 neutral areas, programme of external activities designed to boost connectivity, self-esteem, confidence, and for YP with more complex needs, 1-2-1 support with an outreach worker.

Referrals will be open to self/family, partner agencies including schools and VCSE, many of whom have been involved in design. Activities run after school, weekends, holidays to complement existing SEMH provision which is almost entirely during school hours.

MindSpace will be overseen by a steering group including partners such as Carers+,Youth Council, SEND practitioner and YP with lived experience.

MindSpace will be delivered over 1 year with an outreach worker, sessional workers alongside YP mentors trained in Youth First Aid for Mental Health.

Pathways Project

Kyra Women’s Project – £10,010.40 awarded – York

Funding will support 12-months Pathways Project, to enable Kyra members to follow a more structured pathway through the activities on offer, providing markers to celebrate their achievements and end points.

Project will establish a woman’s need on entry and guide her to courses to meet that need. Pathways shall:

• Develop the range of pathways based on members’ issues.
• Expand the enrolment process to include identifying suitable pathways for each new member.
• Reinstate and deliver the ‘core’ courses addressing issues of self-esteem and assertiveness (skills deficits that put women in the way of harm, abuse, victimhood), and build these courses into pathways.
• Train a new cohort of facilitators and volunteers to run the core courses and develop materials for the courses in a permanent form (project legacy).
• Introduce a system of member journals, course certificates, and celebratory events to mark members’ completion of their pathway.

Wild Ones

Friends of Rowntree Park – £10,528.00 awarded – York

Funding will support outdoor group for girls aged 10+ from March to October, to provide a safe space for girls to learn new skills, make friends and spend time outdoors in response to feedback from older girls that they don’t feel safe in the park or feel it is a male dominated space.

Project will deliver 63 sessions over three years of funding. Sessions will run in weekly 6-week blocks with up to 16 girls attending each week, led by two qualified forest school practitioners, both experienced in working with older children.

The girls shape each session, directing their own activities with the help of the two facilitators. Activities will include nature exploration, tool work, crafts and fire work.

Project will link locally to ensure a targeted approach and alignment to the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) approach.

The group will run in term time from Easter to October when the evenings are lighter. This is typically the time of year when anti-social behaviour in the park is at its highest.

Community Commission

Leaders Unlocked – £19,880.00 awarded – Countywide

The Community Commission is a unique six-month citizen research project (Nov 23 – March 24), allowing the OPFCC and partners to listen to, and act on the views, opinions and experiences of North Yorkshire’s most underrepresented and marginalised adult (18+) communities. 4-6 community researchers, each drawn from and representing at least one demographic that is either, traditionally underrepresented or disproportionately affected by crime and policing strategy will be trained and paid to deliver citizen peer research, with a range of underrepresented & marginalised communities, including those they are drawn from.

Each community researcher will conduct a minimum of two research focus groups with the support of the project coordinator. This will culminate in a meeting with the PFCC and key stakeholders from NYP and partner organisations to present priorities, findings & recommendations and discuss future actions to be taken. A full report will then follow.

Red Flags interactive theatre show

CEO Soundproofbox CIC – £7,574.00 awarded – Countywide

‘Red flags’ is a theatre in education show and workshop aimed at educating young people and young adults on spotting the signs of coercive control. It’s an immersive education programme taking the audience through several scenes involving a young couple to watch how their relationship escalates into control and coercion and finally violence.

The audience become fully engaged and interact by waving ‘Red flags’ to change the scene to more positive and appropriate behaviours and actions. Project includes 1 hour ‘Red Flags’ performance alongside a 45-minute workshop and will work closely with local partners to align with wider strategic approaches.

The We Care Scheme (North Yorkshire Police)

North Yorkshire Police – £664.00 awarded – Police Property Fund – Countywide

We Care is a North Yorkshire Police scheme designed to support anyone who may be vulnerable and needs some help or advice at any time.

The scheme is free for any North Yorkshire resident of any age. An information form is completed and the individual issued with a police ‘I Need Help Card’ that can be used anywhere to ask for assistance.

If a scheme member, carer, guardian needs to call 999 or 101, the Force Control Room are immediately aware of any additional needs the person may have and can then provide a level of service in line with their personal requirements. This information can also be accessed when providing other types of safeguarding for the person, such as when working with partner agencies.

Requesting funding to support provision of all We Care literature in an accessible format, seen as essential to aid understanding for people with limited capacity. This will be achieved by using ‘Widget Online’ symbols alongside any text. This has been requested by service users and fits requirements under the 2010 Equality Act. FUnding will purchase a Widget Online license (easy read package), to provide access to 20 licenses (20 staff) for a 3 year period. Widget can then also be used across other areas in Policing.

The Long Game

Leaders Unlocked – £13,070.00 awarded – Countywide

Funding will support a series of lived-experience workshops, to reduce young people’s risk of involvement in county lines and modern slavery.

Workshops will be delivered in schools, colleges, PRUs and services identified in partnership, reaching at least 1,000 young people.

Delivery model is youth-led and engaging, combining Adam’s personal story with regular group discussion and questions, tailored to the age of the audience.

Participants will be identified in partnership, reaching many young people at an early stage to support a preventative approach. This project is the pilot for wider roll-out in North Yorkshire and ultimately nationwide.

Skipton Community Sports Hub – Safety & Security

Skipton Community Sports Hub – £2,390.00 awarded – Craven

Skipton Community Sports Hub is creating a new facility at Sandylands on the site of the old Skipton Cricket Club pavilion. Funding will support an alarm system for crime prevention.

It is a facility for all the local community to use and will be the clubhouse of both SCC and SJFC, serving over 600 local children and young people, not including the adults. The Hub will add real value for the local community of Skipton and Craven as it addresses the need for a fully accessible building and facilities for those unable to access sports and other related activities.

There is lots of unreported anti social activity and many local sports buildings and the nearby crematorium have been targeted in burglaries recently. By lighting the outside of the Hub and alarming the building, it will improve user safety and enable locals to feel confident about visiting the Hub. Project will measure impact by having security on the agenda and monitor levels of anti social behaviour at monthly governance meetings, together with links with the Community Safety Hub.

Skipton Community Safety Working Group

Youth Engagement Project Skipton Community Safety Working Group – £5,130.00 awarded – Craven

Funding will support Youth Bus, sited in agreed areas in Skipton (identified in partnership), to engage with young people aged 11-15, giving them a space, they feel safe to come and meet their friends.

It will also provide an opportunity for young people to engage with youth provision so further projects to meet their needs and issues can be developed.

The bus will be in or near locations where there have been concerns about anti social behaviour, as currently there is little provision for this in Skipton. The second part of the project is to hold a Community Event at Sandylands Sports Centre.

The aim of this community day is to promote the positives of Skipton and for community groups, including but not exclusive to sports, to showcase what they offer in Skipton and how anyone, including young people can get involved with these groups.

The purpose of this is to show and increase the participation in activities to divert young people from becoming involved in antisocial behaviour, or to prevent those who have been involved in ASB from reoffending.

The combination of the Youth Bus and the Community Day will show what already exists in Skipton, and also identify gaps by engaging with young people in a positive way, using this information to establish a long term plan for the Community Safety Working Group.

Gating of Greaves Court

Ripon Business Improvement District (Ripon BID) – £8,000.00 awarded – Harrogate

Funding will support the gating of Greaves court at both ends, to stop severe antisocial behaviour during the evening, supporting both residents and businesses in creating a safer and more welcoming atmosphere, as part of a wider multi-agency response.

Gates will have a keypad so that residents and businesses have access and will be open during daylight/daytime hours, only closed in the evening when issues arise.

Claro Enterprises

Claro Enterprises – £4,542.72 awarded – Harrogate

Claro Enterprises is a mental health charity which runs a large, commercially equipped community workshop where people can rebuild confidence and learn new skills.

The project will offer a new service to offenders open to probation and community services in the Harrogate District.

Claro runs supported work sessions Monday – Friday, 10am – 3pm, specialising in making woodwork products for a range of customers and undertaking business services for local companies. Candidates will be offered regular sessions where they can re-establish regular routines, build skills and social relationships.

The project will be focused on offenders where issues with mental health are identified and where risk factors are low to the other highly vulnerable service users. Project will work in partnership with Probation, IOM and PFCC commissioned services to support a targeted approach that enhances provision.

VIY @ Westway Boxing Club, Scarborough

Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) CIC – £17,325.00 awarded – Scarborough

VIY challenges young people to volunteer help renovate/refurbish local community facilities that host and provide valued services and activities, whilst learning vocational trade skills on the job.

Project works with young people who are aged 14-24 and typically marginalised/excluded/disengaged and not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET.

This project covers the delivery of a new VIY facility improvement and refurbishment project at Westway Boxing Club in Scarborough involving and benefitting at least 20 young people.

Over 4 weeks, the young people will develop new vocational trade skills such as carpentry and joinery, plumbing, plastering and painting and decorating whilst being mentored by and working alongside professional tradespeople.

Young people referred through partners including YJS, PRU, social care and drug/alcohol teams.

Young people will all receive accredited award and project aims for 25% to go on into further employment, education or training.

Brayton Youth Connect – Refurbish

Up For Yorkshire (working name for Selby District AVS) – £10,000.00 awarded – Selby

Up For Yorkshire plans to significantly expand the Brayton Youth Connect project at Brayton Community Centre (BCC).

Funding will be used to redesign the changing rooms and existing youth room at Brayton Community Centre to quadruple the size of the dedicated space for young people.

The commissioner has previously supported YO8 youth club, which has significantly reduced the incidence of anti-social behaviour at the Community Centre, through providing diversionary and desistance activities and has built a positive relationship with young people that congregate in the surrounding park.

NYP have raised the location as an ASB hotspot and allocated a police SPOC.

Currently no other free drop-in and open access organised youth activities or youth clubs within the area, leaving young people without an indoor and safe place to meet.

Project has consulted widely about the activities included at the Brayton Youth Connect project to encourage participation. Brayton Community Centre is also the focus of a Community Conferencing project. Funding will enable the first phase of the capital work to be completed, whilst seeking match funding to complete phase two.

Celebrating Safety via Manga

New Visuality – £3,800.00 awarded – York

Funding will support delivery of art, comic strip safety sessions to 30 excluded young people (identified in partnership), aged 12-16. Content is informed and co-produced by previous participants, developed into paid advocates.

Project will collaborate with 5 local schools, identified in partnership to ensure a targeted approach to young people identified. Young people will also receive the opportunity to gain an accredited Arts Award.

Foss Fairy Trail

Foss Fairy Trail – £500.00 awarded – York

The Foss Fairy Trail is a community project that was initiated in May 2021 and previously supported with some initial set up and signage.

The project’s aim was to create a magical walkway for the local community, on land subject to anti-social behaviour.

This has been very well received, encouraging children, schools and families to explore the area, get active and increase their interest in nature. The project has held 10 events over the last 3 years which encourage children to get involved and learn about nature.

Since May 2021 the area has been cleaned up, wood chippings laid, green growth cut back, rubbish removed and an increase in community use.

Project also works closely with local police and Changing Lives to continue to further reduce anti-social behaviour in the area.

Going forward into 2024 the project aims to further improve areas and ultimately become a community-owned project.

Community Outreach Project

Keith Blanshard, Management Volunteer, St Andrews Church, Huntington, York – £6,277.58 awarded – York

As part of the Church’s extension to increase outreach work within the community, funding will support a kitchen, to provide refreshments and meals for the community groups. Funding is for materials, the work will be carried out by volunteers.

Church has a mix of paid youth workers and volunteers who carry out a range of one to one mentoring, pastoral care in the community, training in work projects, Youth Drop in Centre, Youth band, Cake & Company, parent and children groups and off site activities, such as supervised bike rides.

Church has previously used The Payback Team” and this is something they wish to increase to help with a number of activities.

Church has started a Green Group which has already been out in the community, doing a number of jobs for the disabled and elderly. Some young people have been involved with the building project and funds to date have been raised.

Osbaldwick Village Hall Renovation Project

Osbaldwick Parish Council – £4,680.00 awarded – York

Funding will support security and safety measures as part of the renovation of the original Victorian Village Hall in Osbaldwick and the replacement of an old extension, with a two storey extension.

When complete, the restoration project will achieve a Village Hall with community use again in rooms on a new mezzanine floor, fully insulated and with all alarm and up to date fire regulation materials installed.

The building has been subject to vandalised windows likely associated with anti-social behaviour that the Local Policing team are fully engaged with, a properly protected, finished building will help to prevent this vandalism and contribute to the safety and perception in the immediate area.

Working to make York safer

York Rescue Boat – £8,120.54 awarded – York

The aim of this project is to help with a vital equipment uplift to help increase the team’s capacity both on weekly prevention patrols and call outs in support of the emergency services.

Funding will increase the number of personal radios, to help coordinate the team at incidents and searches, to make most effective use of the resources.

Secondly to both help protect members and members of the public, an uplift of 6 additional Revel Body Worn Video Cameras will be provided.

These enable the team to capture footage at incidents, not only providing vital evidence to the police but also to protect volunteers after a number of assaults. It also provides reassurance to the public and transparency of volunteers actions at incidents.

The final element of funding will replace portable scene lighting. The majority of incidents attended are during the night; scene lighting is vital to allow members to see clearly especially when working on and around the river.