Children to choose organisations in Everton and Vauxhall to get funding in crime crackdown

Community clubs and groups working in Everton and Vauxhall can apply for up to £5,000 in funding as part of a crackdown on serious and organised crime.

The participatory budget scheme, intended to strengthen community resilience by boosting funding to local clubs and groups, will have a total funding pot of £50,000 provided by Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner and Merseyside Police.

Everton and parts of Vauxhall have recently been designated a Clear, Hold, Build area – a national scheme designed by the Home Office to tackle serious and organised crime and improve areas so they become places people love to live, work and visit.

This is the fourth Clear, Hold, Build project in Merseyside, where they are known as EVOLVE areas, that see police working with partners and residents to disrupt and deter gangs from operating and building brighter futures.

Those applying for the funding at the event can be from either a voluntary or community group and must benefit or be accessible to residents in Everton and Vauxhall but can be based elsewhere.

They must also ensure their bid has a connection to at least one of the following:

• Reducing or addressing 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

• Tackling County Lines

Applications are to be submitted online via [email protected] by Friday, March 28th 2025.

Successful applicants will be invited to attend the ‘Everton and Vauxhall – Together We Stand Tall’ participatory budget event on Tuesday, April 29^th 2025.

This will be held at Notre Dame Catholic College and will be in a Dragons’ Den style where applicants will pitch their bid in a two-minute presentation to pupils from Notre Dame and North Liverpool Academy, who will allocate funds for the projects they believe will have the biggest impact in their community.

Chief Inspector Sarah Rotherham from the EVOLVE Everton-Vauxhall policing team said: “We are really excited to be able to give a financial boost to the groups working within Everton and Vauxhall to help them make a difference to our communities.

“The idea of the participatory budget fund is to support local groups to provide activities and resources which will ultimately assist in reducing and preventing crime and anti-social behaviour, tackling County Lines and protecting vulnerable people within our communities.

“Community groups can receive funding to further develop existing projects or start new ones and bid for a sum of money.

“Young people are our future so it felt right that they make decisions about how the funds will be spent to best help improve where they live.

“Not only does this ensure that funding is going towards what the younger generation really need but it also builds strong links between us, young people and community groups who will continue to work together long after the event, providing longevity in projects and shared resources which benefit the community.”

Prospective applicants wishing to receive more information or help completing the form can do so by emailing [email protected] or calling Sgt Nicola Hutton on 0151 777 1472.