£175,000 was invested into local areas across the West Midlands to support community projects and activities aiming to prevent violent crime across the summer.
The funding was spent on a programme of activities for local communities and young people over the summer holidays.
The money was given to 10 local organisations that applied for the funds, in order to support delivery of their work across the region, and to widen their reach.
The programme included free sports and music activities, youth clubs, mentoring, first aid training and more youth workers placed in central locations to support our young people.
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “Although the summer holidays should be a fun and exciting time for our children and young people, they can also mean our young people lose the support and safety of being in school.
“That’s exactly why we need to ensure we are investing into activities and further channels of support for our young people and making them accessible, especially through the holiday periods.”
In Coventry, we have already seen an 8% drop in summer violence compared to the same time last year.
Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader at Coventry City Council, and Chair of the city’s Police and Crime Board, said:
“Our mission as a city is to work together to engage young people, provide support, signpost to activities, and build relationships, all while working closely with youth organisations and police officers to ensure safety and engagement.”
Councillor James Clinton, cabinet member for public health, said: “As we develop our Child Friendly Dudley framework, we’ve been speaking to young people about how we can make the borough a better place.
“For many, the feeling of safety and having things to do was a top priority.”
£25,000 each has been given to each of the seven local authority areas: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.
This programme of support comes after the launch of a region-wide campaign from the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership, called My Tomorrow. It aims to improve the life chances of 11 to 25 year olds through funded projects and events running across the year.
