The Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s grant schemes continue to support projects that help to make the county safer, with more than £35,000 being awarded to organisations in the most recent round of funding.

The latest initiatives to receive funding include a Wellbeing for Women project, the setting up of Neighbourhood Watch schemes in crime hotspots, an educational programme in schools about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and community speed reduction.

The Good Loaf was awarded just over £9,000 to deliver a 10 week project that aims to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable women, while teaching baking skills, and provide a toolkit to enhance their mental health.

CEO of The Good Loaf, Suzy Van Rooyen said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded these funds to make this group possible. Local vulnerable women may need this support more than ever during these difficult times and we are all very grateful to the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Office. It has not been an easy year for anyone, least of all for those who may have been affected by domestic abuse or addiction.”

Creating Equalz was also successful in its bid to the Commissioner’s Making Northamptonshire Safer fund, for just under £9,500. The money will be used to provide training and resources to primary and secondary schools to help them identify additional risks that girls from practicing FGM communities will face during the Covid-19 pandemic. This work will be evaluated to gain a better understanding of how schools in Northampton are addressing safeguarding for young girls at risk of FGM in order to keep them safe.

The Northamptonshire Neighbourhood Watch Association was awarded £9,500 for Operation Target, which aims to reduce crime and build stronger and safer communities in crime hot spot areas. The funding will be used to target these areas across the county to establish effective Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

Northamptonshire Neighbourhood Watch Chair, Alan Earle said: “A well-run scheme and a good working relationship with the local Neighbourhood Policing Team has resulted in reducing crime by 30% in some recently newly created scheme areas. Having effective communication about concerns in the community and crime prevention information is really important. We will be launching Operation Target at our AGM this week.”

Two Parish Councils – Ashton Parish Council and Cottingham Parish Council – were successful in their bids to the Commissioner’s Road Safety fund, and will use the money to install speed control devices in areas of concern.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold said: “I am really pleased to be able to award funding to each of these projects, which are working hard to engage communities in making our county a safer place to live.”

Any organisation, charity or community group that works in support of the Police and Crime Plan is able to apply for funding. Full details can be found here.