A consortium of local groups, supported by Croydon Council the police and the NHS, has been awarded £750,000 of funding from a Mayor of London initiative to help tackle violence in the capital.
The money, spread out over three years, will go directly towards helping reduce crime in London Road, West Croydon as well as tackling its underlying causes. A variety of programmes will be launched while the majority of the money will go towards supporting grassroots community groups.
Working with its partners the council’s Youth Offending Service will organise mentoring and educational programmes while the council’s Violence Reduction Network will provide a number of projects focusing on diverting youngsters away from crime and providing them with positive opportunities.
The bid itself was put together by the community sector, led by Croydon Voluntary Action, and included such groups as the Palace for Life Foundation, PJs Community Services and the Croydon BME Forum.
Steve Phaure, chief executive of Croydon Voluntary Action said, “This award will give London Road an opportunity to transform itself, to become a welcoming gateway to the town centre, and to help shape Croydon’s recovery and its future for the next ten years.
“We are being funded to reduce violence but the Mayor of London’s office recognises there’s a reason why people get into trouble. So we want to marshal all our resources together and work with the council, police and NHS to focus this funding and make a real difference in the community.”
Anthony King of PJs Community Services added, “We will build on the passion and desire for change, with our young people being at the front of reshaping the community-led approach and not on the all-too-common receiving end.”
Croydon was one of just eight consortiums out of 31 applications to win a share of the £6m pot offered by the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit under the banner of the MyEnds programme.
“This award is fantastic news for the London Road community and I am greatly encouraged that a large proportion of the money will be used to support some of our vulnerable young people in a bid to provide positive alternatives to lives that are blighted by crime.
“I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all of our partners for the hard work they put in to securing this funding.”
Councillor Alisa Flemming, cabinet member for children, young people and learning
“This funding will be absolutely vital in assisting the council’s Violence Reduction Network and our partners in tackling the causes of crime.
“It will also ensure the local community is at the centre of leading the change for their neighbourhood and mobilising people in a really positive way. I would like to congratulate our partners and look forward to continuing our work together in this important area.”
Councillor David Wood, cabinet member for communities, safety and resilience
