Cumbria community groups invited to apply for £2,500 crime prevention funding
Community groups across Cumbria can apply for up to £2,500 to support projects tackling crime and anti-social behaviour locally.
Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen has reopened the Community Fund, offering financial support to local charities, organisations and grassroots groups. The scheme is designed to help communities develop projects that can contribute towards preventing crime and anti-social behaviour. Funding can be used for initiatives involving education, diversionary activities and other approaches intended to address problems affecting local areas. The reopening gives community organisations another opportunity to seek support for projects that could benefit residents and provide positive activities within their neighbourhoods.
Groups can apply for grants of up to £2,500 through the fund, with applications required to receive approval from a local police community support officer or police officer. This requirement is intended to ensure that proposed projects have a connection with local policing priorities and the issues being experienced within communities. Organisations considering an application will therefore need to engage with their local policing team as part of the process. The fund is open to a range of local organisations rather than being limited to a single type of community activity.
The funding comes from criminal assets that have been seized, allowing money recovered through the proceeds of crime to be redirected towards community initiatives. The approach means funding is being made available for projects designed to help prevent crime and improve community safety. Since May 2024, the initiative has awarded £468,547 to grassroots projects across Cumbria. The latest reopening is intended to continue that investment by helping smaller organisations develop practical activities in their own communities.
Mr Allen said investment in local communities was important in tackling and preventing anti-social behaviour and crime across the county. He said the fund would provide organisations with an opportunity to develop projects using education and diversionary activities to reduce crime. His comments highlighted the potential role of relatively small grants in helping community organisations deliver activities that may otherwise be difficult to fund. The Commissioner also encouraged organisations with suitable projects to come forward and apply for support.
The Community Fund is particularly aimed at supporting locally based initiatives rather than large-scale programmes. A grant of £2,500 could help a smaller organisation purchase equipment, organise activities, deliver educational sessions or create diversionary opportunities for people in its area. The exact use of the funding will depend on the project proposed by each applicant and whether it meets the requirements of the scheme. Local knowledge and involvement are therefore central to the way the fund operates.
The Commissioner has pointed to several organisations that have previously received support through the scheme. Among them are Kendal Youth Darts Academy, Cumbria Taekwondo in Ulverston, Hensingham ARLFC and Creighton Rugby Club. These examples illustrate the range of community organisations that can potentially benefit from funding when their activities contribute towards wider community objectives. Sporting and youth-focused organisations can provide structured activities and opportunities for participation, while also supporting wider engagement within local communities.
The fund also reflects a wider emphasis on early intervention and diversionary opportunities as part of efforts to address anti-social behaviour. Providing activities for young people and other residents can offer constructive alternatives while helping community organisations establish stronger links with local policing teams. Previous projects supported through the wider funding programme have included free sports activities and coaching designed to provide positive opportunities for young people during school holidays. Such initiatives demonstrate how funding can be directed towards practical activity at community level.
The scheme comes as communities across Cumbria continue to identify anti-social behaviour as an issue requiring local responses. The nature of those concerns can differ between towns, villages and neighbourhoods, meaning projects developed by people who understand their own communities can be tailored to specific circumstances. The Community Fund provides a route for local organisations to propose initiatives based around those circumstances rather than relying solely on county-wide programmes. Applications must nevertheless go through the required policing approval process before funding can be awarded.
The Commissioner has previously said that local organisations, charities and community groups can play an important role in preventing anti-social behaviour and crime. The current fund is intended to support projects that have a clear connection to those objectives, rather than providing general-purpose financial assistance. Applicants therefore need to demonstrate how their proposed activity could contribute towards reducing crime, preventing anti-social behaviour or providing constructive diversion. This approach allows funding decisions to be linked directly to the purpose of the Community Fund.
The reopening also gives organisations that have already developed ideas for local projects an opportunity to seek financial assistance. Groups can discuss their proposals with local police officers or police community support officers before submitting an application. That local engagement is an important part of the process because every application needs policing approval. It also provides an opportunity for community organisations and officers to consider how proposed activities could complement existing efforts to address local concerns.
Previous Community Fund investment has supported projects involving sport, youth activities and community organisations in different parts of Cumbria. One recent programme provided £2,480 to three centres in Carlisle, Cleator Moor and Workington for free sports activities and coaching during the school holidays. Over 28 days, the programme delivered 56 hours of sport, with an average of 77 young people attending each week. Such examples show how relatively modest grants can be used to provide structured activities over a defined period.
For organisations interested in applying, information about the Community Fund, including application guidance and the requirements of the scheme, is available through the Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s website. Applicants are encouraged to consider how their proposed project will address crime or anti-social behaviour and to secure the necessary support from their local policing team. The current funding round provides an opportunity for community organisations to turn locally developed ideas into practical projects with financial backing.
The reopening of the fund means community groups across the county can now put forward projects that aim to make a practical difference in their own areas. With grants of up to £2,500 available, the scheme is focused on supporting locally led activity while using money recovered from criminal assets to benefit communities. Organisations with suitable projects are being encouraged to make use of the opportunity and work with local police representatives as they develop their applications.
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