Crime fighting community groups in Flintshire to get cash seized from criminals

A special fund which uses cash seized from crooks to help community crimebusters in North Wales is set to take its hand-outs to over £200,000 in five years.

The Your Community, Your Choice Awards are again putting up over £40,000 for local groups and North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones is urging local groups to bid for the cash.

The Community Fund is again being set up jointly by Mr Jones, North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).

Two group operating in Flintshire will be eligible for £2500 each, there will also be £5,000 for two organisations that operate across all North Wales.

The successful groups are chosen by public vote and entries open on Monday, September 4, and close on Saturday, September 3o.

A shortlist of applicants will be chosen by a special panel and voting opens to the public on October 30 and runs until December 1 with that vote deciding the winners.

The cash for the awards comes partly from money seized by the courts through the Proceeds of Crime Act with the rest from the Police Commissioner’s Fund.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones said:

These awards are important because they involve the community and the communities decide where the money can best be spent.

A lot of what we fund is aimed at providing something for young people to get involved with in their spare time rather than being tempted to commit crime or indulge in anti-social behaviour.

We want to support communities so they are able to take responsibility for their own areas.

Smaller community groups like them can do a great deal to make communities safer, reduce crime and reduce re-offending, It also sends a good message to the communities because it shows we are listening to them.

Applicants have to be a properly constituted community group or a registered charity and the main criteria is that the project helps to support the Police and Crime Plan by delivering safer neighbourhoods.

“It gives us the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of community groups and also importantly gives out local neighbourhood policing teams the opportunity to engage with those groups and support them with their projects.

I would recommend that applicants considering a bid liaise with their local neighbourhood policing team to discuss it and make sure it is as comprehensive as possible,” said PACT Manager Dave Evans.

The opening date is September 4 and completed applications must be returned by e-mail to yourcommunityyourchoice@nthwales.pnn.police.uk by 5pm on the closing date of September 30.

Your Community, Your Choice entry form available on the North Wales Police Commissioner’s website.