Violence Reduction Partnership-Arts and Culture Fund

The Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP) has been awarded funding from the Home Office to enable the partnership to continue its work around serious violence prevention. Part of the VRP funding has been allocated via this grant programme in partnership with the Community Foundation for Merseyside, specifically for activities and interventions provided by the Community & Arts sector.

 

What is the fund?

The fund is targeted at Arts and Culture based activities that support Young people aged under 25 years with known risk factors which may increase their risk of experiencing violence and or grooming from gangs.

 

The VRP is extremely keen to involve the Community, particularly Young People (under 25yrs), in this process to ensure that young people are central to the provision and youth-directed provision is favoured where possible. Applications should therefore include some evidence of young people being involved in the co-production; co-design or co-evaluation of programmes / projects.

 

Interventions / programmes delivered must fall into one of the following types

• Prevention - Awareness raising or education based programmes
• Early Intervention - Diversionary youth outreach activities and programmes
• Therapeutic - Tailored interventions and programmes
• Desistence - Programmes which aim to cease offending or reoffending

 

The intervention / programme detailed above will be specific to one or more of the below target groups:

 

• Universal – Those not currently involved in criminal activity, but for whom there may be friend/family/environmental/community/school risk factors.
• Potentially high risk - Young people known to hang out in spaces where they are potentially more at risk of experiencing’ violence and criminal exploitation
• Known risk - Young people with known risk factors including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and suspected to be involved in criminal activity with particular focus on violence, knife crime, criminal exploitation and associated harms. These young people may be known to police/authorities but have not received a conviction.
• Involved in violence/crime - Young people with known risk factors and are involved in the criminal justice system

 

Based on local area information, this fund is deemed to have the biggest potential impact on reducing serious youth violence in the following areas of Merseyside

 

Liverpool

• Anfield
• County
• Everton
• Kensington and Fairfield
• Kirkdale
• Riverside
• Picton
• Princes Park
• Speke / Garston
• Tuebrook / Stoneycroft
• Warbreck

 

St Helens

• St Helens Town Centre

 

Wirral

• Birkenhead and Tranmere

 

How much funding can organisations apply for?

We are able to consider a variety of different sized projects as long as the grant can be spent in full by 31^st March 2021. Please note that the total fund is approximately £75,000 and we expect to receive a range of applications. The grants panel will award grants that are proportionate to the turnover of the organisation(s) applying.

 

A wide range of Arts and Culture based engagement and preventions activities that meet the below target outcomes can be considered:

• Increase participation of young people in Arts and Cultural activities
• Increase engagement with young people which is sustainable beyond the VRP funding period
• Improve in reported health and well-being of young people (including anger management)
• Increase perception of personal safety amongst the young people involved
• Improve awareness of the impact of violent crime, particularly knife crime, and the signs and dangers of child criminal exploitation.
• Improve aspirations of young people
• Increase opportunities for young people

 

Who can apply?

Voluntary, community and faith organisations, registered charities, not for profit social businesses and public sector bodies.

 

What cannot be funded?

• Individuals
• Organisations with less than 3 unrelated Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members
• Projects and activities classed as a statutory responsibility
• Private Businesses or CICs limited by shares
• Retrospective funding
• Politically connected or exclusively religious activities

 

How to apply?

Please visit the Community Foundation for Merseyside’s website - www.cfmerseyside.org.uk and complete an online application form available on the fund page for this grant programme. Once you have submitted the online application you will need to send the documents listed below. You can attach the documents to your online application, or email them to applications@cflm.email.

 

Closing Date

4pm Friday 18^th September 2020

  

Documents which need to be included with your application:

 

1. A copy of your governing document

 

2. A copy of your latest annual accounts or income and expenditure document if a newer organisation

 

3. A copy of a recent bank statement for your group.

 

4. A list of your Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members

 

5. A copy of your current Safeguarding Policy

If you have applied to us within the last 12 months and provided this information, we do not need you to send it again although we do need a bank statement dated within the last 3 months.

 

What happens next?

Completed applications are considered by Community Foundation staff to check eligibility and complete due diligence checks. You may be contacted for more information after applying and a decision making panel will make decisions based on the fund’s criteria and the budget available.

 

Community Foundation for Merseyside

Third Floor, Stanley Building, 43 Hanover Street,

Liverpool, L1 3DN

Email: applications@cflm.email