Almost 10,000 people from communities across Merseyside are set to benefit from funding from Merseyside Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner, using money seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).
In Southport, that includes £5,000 for Meols Cop High School, to deliver a programme to Year 10 boys on progressive masculinity and their values in society.
Workshops will include speeches by prisoners or ex-prisoners as well as inspirational sporting figures such as Paddy the Baddy. Gym sessions will be made available, and the boys will engage with a community outreach programme weekly.
Serious and organised crime poses a significant threat to our communities. Merseyside Police is committed to pursuing these criminals with the full force of the law and ensuring that the proceeds of their crimes are spent improving the communities they have brought misery to.
The Community Cashback Fund is one of several initiatives that take place throughout the year to enable Merseyside Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to reinvest some of the money seized from criminals back into local communities to help provide vital resources and fund community projects across Merseyside. It is aimed at strengthening community resilience by supporting local clubs and groups, which in turn helps to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, promote diversionary activities, and support vulnerable members of the community.
Following the violence and disorder that took place across Merseyside during the summer of 2024, the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner decided to focus this round of funding on projects intended to prevent crime by improving community integration and cohesion and tackling hate crime. This years Community Cashback Fund was launched in October and invited grassroots organisations and community groups across Merseyside to apply for a share of £100,000, up to a maximum of £5,000, from the fund to further develop existing projects or start new ones that focussed on these aims.
150 applications were submitted and these were processed by The Community Foundation who conducted the due diligence process and recommended that 50 of the applications should proceed to the Community Cashback Fund evaluation panel, which met on Monday 16th December 2024 to consider applications.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: “It’s fantastic to see the number of community initiatives that will benefit from money, seized from criminals, under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Our work to stop criminals is ongoing and relentless. It pays dividends when the money, seized by the force through positive and proactive work from criminals, can be shared with worthy causes that benefit the communities.
“Utilising funds seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act to build community cohesion and combat hate crimes is a powerful way to turn the tide against criminal activities. By redirecting these ill-gotten gains into initiatives that promote unity and understanding, we can build stronger, more resilient communities where everyone feels safe and valued.
“I am confident that the positive impact from each and every one of these initiatives will be felt for a long time and I look forward to hearing how they progress in the months and years to come.”
Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “Merseyside is no place for hate and crimes of this nature will never be tolerated so I’m delighted that we are able to announce the latest successful beneficiaries of our Community Cashback scheme.
“We’ve all seen what can happen when stereotypes and hate-fuelled attitudes are allowed to fester. They can lead to very serious crimes that can have devastating consequences for marginalised or minority communities and those negative impacts can last a lifetime for victims.
“Nobody should suffer fear, intimidation, and abuse simply because of who they are or the life they lead and even one victim of hate crime, is one too many. We are focused on building and improving community cohesion and resilience whilst promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.
“These organisations are doing vital work supporting our young people, breaking down barriers, challenging myths and stereotypes and helping to build stronger communities.
“To be able to fund this work using cash taken from criminals, means we can turn bad money into good, giving it to projects that prevent crime, whilst sending a clear message that no matter your race, faith, sexual orientation, gender, or ability, we hear you, we see you and Merseyside is an inclusive region that welcomes all.”
The initiatives that were successful are:
| Community Cashback Fund 2024 | ||||
| Local Authority Area | Organisation | Recommended Funding (£) | Project Description | No of Intended Beneficiaries |
| Knowsley | Knowsley Disability Concern | £4,995 | To deliver a programme that raises awareness of, and address disability hate crime by delivering assemblies in schools and working with disabled young people to identify and report hate crime. | 240 |
| Knowsley | See You See Me CIC | £5,000 | To deliver dance classes to create original choreography and community performances to bring people of all backgrounds together. | 50 |
| Knowsley | SHARe Knowsley | £5,000 | To run a range of workshops and activities led by refugees with volunteer support to bridge gaps and create cohesion. Activities will include language classes, themed evenings, creative workshops, and a barber service for low-income households. | 300 |
| Liverpool | Agent Academy | £4,980 | To work with local schools to create ‘peace ambassador’ roles for year 6 children to allow pupils to explore issues such as conflict and discrimination based on race and stereotyping.
|
105 |
| Liverpool | Anthony Walker Foundation | £5,000 | To work with schools to deliver assemblies or workshops on the importance of DEI and the harmful impacts of race-related crimes.
|
3,500 |
| Liverpool / Merseyside | LCR Pride Foundation | £5,000 | To deliver a project called Safe And Sound which is a series of drop-in workshops taking place in community spaces to promote better engagement, reporting and access to community services – particularly those who support and work with the LGBT+ community (but not exclusively limited to). | 150 |
| Liverpool | MOVEMA | £2,860 | To deliver dance sessions to women of all backgrounds to promote inclusivity and togetherness through building relationships. | 80 |
| Liverpool | Moving On with life & Learning Ltd (MOWLL)
|
£4,806 | To create a training resource that addresses the barriers facing those with additional support needs and challenges. People with lived experience will share their stories and the resource will be used across the wider community to raise hate crime awareness. | 45 |
| Liverpool | No Place Productions | £2,860 | The funding will be used to create a drama workshop programme which aims to use drama learning and techniques to prevent hate crime, through promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion. | 150 |
| Liverpool | Pagoda Arts | £5,000 | To promote community cohesion through structured cultural activities such as festivals, workshops and ESOL classes. There will also be sessions on reporting hate crime and police engagement. | 1,500 |
| Liverpool | Powerful Beyond All Measure | £5,000 | The group will deliver ‘Hate makes me feel workshops’ which is an interactive training session children and aims to challenge the use of Hate Language and understand the criminal consequences as well as the emotional/mental/physical impact it can have on victims. | 1,140 |
| Liverpool | Whispered Tales | £4,900 | The funding will be used to create a performance that highlights why people are forced to leave their home due to war and seek refuge here in Merseyside. | 1,000 |
| Sefton | Congolese Association of Merseyside | £3,000 | Funding will allow the group to continue their existing services of skill building, drop-in support, advocacy, and social integration. | 150 |
| Sefton | Meols Cop High School | £5,000 | To deliver a programme to Year 10 boys on progressive masculinity and their values in society. Workshops will include speeches by prisoners or ex-prisoners as well as inspirational sporting figures such as Paddy the Baddy. Gym sessions will be made available, and the boys will engage with a community outreach programme weekly. | 30 |
| Sefton | VENUS | £2,000 | The funding will be used to support the salaries of the groups Key Support Worker and an apprentice Community Health and Wellbeing Worker as part of the International Café project. | 75 |
| Sefton | Talk the Talk Education CIC | £4,930 | The funding will be used to deliver educational workshops to x25 groups of young people aged 11-25, with approximately 10 per session totalling 250. | 250 |
| St Helens | Come Together Hub CIC | £5,000 | To provide group sessions for those struggling with addiction, poor mental health, and social isolation. | 500 |
| St Helens | St Helens Parish Church | £5,000 | To extend their low-cost café provision to support those struggling with mental health issues, loneliness, addiction, homelessness or those from care leaver or refugee backgrounds. | 200 |
| St Helens | Wonderland Community Centre CIC | £4,945 | The funding will be used to support people from all cultures living in St Helen. The group will provide a range of activities that will support them to become more integrated into the community. | 15 |
| Wirral | Wirral Churches Ark Project | £3,000 | The funding will be used to offer a diverse range of activities and cover essential supplies for an entire year. | 118 |
| Wirral | Heart 4 Refugees | £5,000 | To carry out research and deliver interactive educational workshops to challenge racist attitudes and educate people on hate crime. | 250 |
| Wirral | Behind Bars Calisthenics Academy Ltd | £3,740 | To provide structured ninja warrior-style physical activity sessions to children with SEN. | 30 |
| Wirral | Wirral Health Project CIC | £3,260 | To provide a youth wellbeing programme that also looks at restorative practices and community awareness discussions on hate crime, mate crime and LGBTQ+ support.
|
100 |
| Project Cost £100,276 | Total Beneficiaries | 9,978 | ||
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