Over 40 charities, including the Ben Kinsella Trust,
have already benefited by receiving grants of up to
£20,000 through the first round of the Community Fund
which was launched in October 2017.
In addition, further funding has been secured for Young
People’s Advocates until at least the end of March
2019, to provide support for vulnerable women and girls
at risk of exploitation by gangs.
Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability
said:
Knife crime has devastating consequences for families
and local communities and I am determined to provide
necessary support for those most at risk.
Tackling this crime needs a change in young people’s
attitudes so they are not tempted to carry a knife
and understand that they risk inflicting serious
injury or even a tragic loss of life if they do.
This new funding will allow communities to work with
young people so they do not want to carry knives.
This will be a commitment in the forthcoming Serious
Violence Strategy which will be published later this
spring, in which there will be a strong emphasis on
early intervention.
The Home Office has already provided around £2.5
million of funding for 13 Young People’s Advocates over
6 years (April 2012 to March 2018) in London,
Manchester and Birmingham. In recognition of the
important services these professionals deliver to
vulnerable women and girls affected by gangs, funding
will continue in order to ensure effective delivery of
these services.
Early intervention and prevention will be one of the
main messages in the new Serious Violence Strategy to
be published later this spring. It will place a new
emphasis on steering young people away from crime,
while continuing to promote the strongest possible law
enforcement approach.
