Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office creates additional fund for Cornwall and Devon

We are delighted to be managing the Commissioner’s Community Grant Scheme and following the success of the first round another fund pot of £170,000 has been created to help communities fight illegal drug activity across Cornwall and Devon.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez states, “Drugs can have a devastating social impact on community life and on those who are dependent upon them. They have an adverse impact on individuals, families and businesses right across our communities and contribute to violence, crime, financial problems and homelessness. To tackle drugs effectively we must address both the supply of drugs into our communities and the level of demand for those drugs.”

Whole Again Communities CIC based in Penzance, were awarded £5,000 from the previous round of the Commissioners Community Grant Scheme. The grant was used towards delivering horticultural workshops to young people at risk of offending and potentially becoming involved in anti-social behaviour. Their Bugs, Bees and Pollinators programme involved making bird boxes out of recycled materials, planting wildflowers in the community and cultivating both the community and home greenspaces. Participants in the workshops found increased confidence through new skills, an understanding of the importance of nature and a reduction in anti-social behaviour.

Another group recently supported by the Commissioners Community Grant Scheme were A Band of Brothers, based around the areas of West Cornwall. The £5,000 grant enabled A Band of Brothers to run their Rite of Passage mentoring sessions for thirty ex-offenders potentially at risk of offending again.

Tamas Haydu, Chief Executive said “In Cornwall, we are fortunate to have some brilliant community groups and organisations working to divert people from becoming involved in illegal drug activity. With thanks to the generous funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner we can offer support to those community groups.”

For more information and to apply for funding, click here.