Community groups in St Helens invited to apply for funding

Community groups and clubs in the St Helens area 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 Borough Council and Torus.

The project is called Saint Safe. It’s aimed at strengthening community resilience by supporting local organisations and voluntary 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 Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “This is a fabulous opportunity to work in partnership and make a big difference to St Helens. The deadline to submit applications is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 15 December 2023.

“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 February 2024 when local people will make decisions together about how the funds will be spent.”

The £40,000 funding pot has been filled with contributions from the housing provider Torus, St Helens Borough Council via the Community Safety Partnership, and Merseyside Police via Home Office funding to help fund community projects and reduce serious violence.

The applicants’ group or club can be outside of St Helens, but it must benefit or be accessible to, and directly impact the areas of St Helens town centre, Queens Park, Boundary Road and the Cambridge Road by helping to reduce serious violent crime in any of those areas.

Each applicant will pitch their bid in a two-minute presentation during the main event in February. 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 presentation workshops on Wednesday, 31 January and Thursday 1 February at Holy Cross Parish Hall in St Helens town centre. There will be two workshops each day, which run for one hour, starting at 10:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. 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 are a member of or know a local group or club, please let them know what’s happening.”

Bidding groups must show how their funding boost will help to reduce serious violence, and applicants can also consider how their bid will help with tackling anti-social behaviour, and protecting vulnerable people or supporting victims of crime or anti-social behaviour.