People affected by crime help spend Commissioner’s Cash

The Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales along with members of the community who have been affected by crime, today choose between 13 organisations presenting a bid for cash from the Victim Fund.

The Victims Fund was launched in February this year by the Police and Crime Commissioner and is managed by the Community Foundation in Wales.  Voluntary and third sector organisations were invited to  apply for funding for between £1-£20k  to support new or existing projects that work with individuals who have been directly or indirectly affected by crime.

The 13 organisations presenting are Port Talbot and Afan Women’s Aid, Swansea Bay Regional Equality Council, Cardiff women’s Aid, Valley and Vale Community Arts, Women’s Aid Rhondda Cynon Taf, Stephens and George Centenary Charitable Trust, Welsh women’s Aid, Community Music Wales, Unit Group Wales, Ynys Saff Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Assault Referral Clinic, Theatre versus Oppression, Safer Wales Ltd and Safer Merthyr Tydfil.

The successful organisations will receive grant funding to deliver their projects over the next 12 months and will provide regular feedback on the difference their work is making to victims and the families of victims.
Alun Michael, South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Improving outcomes for victims of crime is a key priority within the police and crime reduction plan recently published for south Wales.  Crucial to this is ensuring that members of the community affected by crime should decide where our money is spent.”

“It is always a pleasure to see what can be achieved through collaborative working.  I am a strong believer that we can always achieve more working together than we can achieve alone.  Working in partnership across different organisations is the most powerful way to achieve our shared aims and objectives in making south Wales safe.”

Liza Kellet, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation in Wales who will manage the fund and deliver the opening address at today’s event said: “The Community Foundation in Wales is the place where donors and do-ers meet and unite in their interest in sporting charities and community projects across the nation.  Last year we awarded over 2.2 million in rans to over 529 community groups and charities whose work is underpinned by7,406 volunteers and benefits,42,320 people in communities across Wales.

“It has been a pleasure to develop this fund with the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales to support voluntary and third sector organisations to develop specialist services for victims of crimes in all its forms across Cardiff, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr Tydfil.  We are delighted with the interest shown in the fund and hearing more about the exciting project ideas submitted to this first round of funding.”

Successful applicants will be formally awarded funding in July 2016