Community groups in Parr invited to apply for funding

Local clubs and groups that support the community of Parr are invited to apply for up to £2,000 funding as part of a participatory budget project being run jointly by Merseyside Police, St Helens Council and Torus.

The project is called Parr-Ticipate. It’s aimed at strengthening community resilience by supporting local clubs and groups, which in turn helps to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and support vulnerable members of the community.

Sergeant Dael Bennison of the St Helens Community Policing Team said: “This is a fabulous opportunity to work in partnership and make a big difference to the community of Parr. The deadline to submit applications is 5pm on Friday, 19 November 2021.

“To apply, you can either email [email protected] and we’ll reply with an application form, or you can pick up a form at the enquiry office in St Helens Police Station. Completed applications can be emailed to us or posted in a designated box at the police station.

“The approach is straightforward – community groups apply for funding and then we hold a main event in December when local people will make decisions together about how the funds will be spent.”

The funding pot has been filled with £10,000 from Torus and £5,000 from the Community Safety Partnership. The remainder has been sourced from Merseyside Police’s Community Cashback Fund which helps fund community projects across Merseyside using cash seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Each applicant will pitch their bid in a two-minute presentation during the main event in December. Members of the public will then vote for the projects they believe will have the biggest impact in their community.

Sergeant Dael Bennison added: “We’ll support applicants with a presentation workshop on Wednesday, 1 December at Torus, Newton Road, Parr. There will be two workshops which run for one hour, starting at 1pm and 6pm. During the workshop, applicants will get input on making the most of the opportunity to pitch their ideas and how they can present their bids.

“If you know someone that’s part of a local group, please let them know what’s happening.”

The criteria for the applications are that the funds will help the group or club with an aspect of the following:

• Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Protecting vulnerable people from becoming victims of crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Supporting victims of crime or anti-social behaviour.

The applicants’ group or club can be based elsewhere but it must benefit or be accessible to residents of Parr.