Purpose

To allocate funding to those organisations that have applied through the approved route to deliver a project on behalf of the Community Safety Partnership, as mentioned in the Community Safety Partnership Delivery Plan.

Decision

To accept the core grant funding (£19,961.00) supplied by the Office for Police Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC) (Essex). 

To agree to issue funding grants for Community Safety Projects as detailed in the Community Safety Delivery Plan 2025 / 2026 as follows:-

Girls Inspired Programme = £5,500;

CARA Specialist Counselling for Young People = £8,500; and

Impact Project X = £3,500.

Reasons for the decision

The core grant for Tendring Community Safety Partnership is £19,961.00 for the year 2025 – 2026.  The OPFCC has issued a Funding Agreement which has been completed and signed and returned as required.

The funding will be allocated to organisations who will undertake projects in order to deliver the Community Safety Partnership Delivery Plan 2025 – 2026.

The allocation of funding has been reviewed in respect of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 and as funding is allocated by an open call process to organisations which can further the objectives of the Community Safety Partnership, allocation of funding does not appear to constitute a subsidy. Although the open call is restricted to the members of the Community Safety Partnership any organisation which can further the objectives of the Partnership is invited to join.

Summary of chosen projects below:

The Girls Inspired programme aims to work with partner agencies, young people, families, schools and community groups to support the reduction and prevention of youth anti-social behaviours/ youth criminality and Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) in their community to keep young girls safe.

The Girls Inspired programme consists of in-school courses, post course individual sessions and afterschool activities. Each element of the programme uses a blend of sports and physical activities, mentoring, group discussions, achieving awards and becoming youth volunteers (known as SportsPlus).

The Girls Inspired programme aims to highlight key risks and challenges facing young girls in their community and/or at school to give them the vital tools and confidence they need to make positive choices. Elements of the programme will include knife crime, gangs, drug driven crime, coercive control and exploitation both from the perspective of female perpetrators and victims.

CARA’s specialist sexual violence therapy addresses sexual offences, including rape, Child Sexual Exploitation, grooming and violence against women and girls by providing one-to-one support that increases victims understanding of abusive behaviour and unhealthy relationships, helping to make positive choices about relationships in the future, and identify early signs of harmful sexual behaviour.

Specialist sexual violence therapy services work alongside the ISVA (Independent Sexual Violence Adviser) service.  Provide ISVA support for any young person who has an open police investigation, from the point at which they report to when the case is closed.

Impact Project X - Help support vulnerable young females in the community, the funding application will seek to cover the costs of 2 UTurn mentors, to deliver a total of 14 hours mentoring (7 hours per mentor) per week, over 2 x18-week programmes, designed to target young females (11-17 years) that are at risk of criminality, violence, exploitation and abuse.

Alternative options considered

To not put forward a bid. This would have led to funding going to other areas across Essex and not being able to deliver projects that will support Tendring residents.