First Community Police Fund grants awarded

Three community police projects in Cheshire have received funding from Cheshire’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) David Keane to make their area safer.

Norton North in Runcorn and Winsford Swanlow and Dean are the first of 122 police communities to be handed out a £1,000 grant from the new Community Police Fund.

Runcorn and Widnes local policing units have also been successful in their joint bid for £2,000 to fund a therapy dog from an additional part of the fund which has been allocated to each of Cheshire’s eight Local Policing Units to support larger scale projects.

The dog will help reduce stress, anxiety and create a more relaxed environment for both victims of crime and officers dealing with challenging situations. The dog will also be used in schools and on public visits to encouragement engagement and the breakdown of barriers between policing and the public.

The grant for Norton North will be used to establish a ‘parking buddies’ scheme outside St Bertaline’s C of E Primary School on Norton Lane to improve road safety during morning drop off and afternoon pick up times. The scheme is being developed in response to complaints from local residents, parents and school staff about parking issues.

Winsford Swanlow and Dean police community will use its funding to provide residents in Winsford and Northwich who suffer from mental health issues with a Christmas box containing food and a small gift. The project, which is in partnership with Mid-Cheshire Mind, will target those who have had a tough year due to not being able to socialise or get out and about during the pandemic. 

The Community Police Fund links directly to the recently launched initiative to increase police visibility in every community by providing a dedicated Police Constable (PC) and Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) for all 122 areas.

The bids were submitted by local police teams who worked closely with their local community to ensure the bids addressed local issues. The fund has been developed using money seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA) 2002.

PCC David Keane said: “It’s fantastic to see so many local communities coming together with their local police teams to develop these much needed bids and to award three bids in the first two weeks of the fund launching is a great achievement.

“There’s still funding up for grabs in many more police communities, so if you have an idea how the funding could benefit your local area, please get in touch with your local police team.

“I look forward to seeing lots of other bids come in from across the county as we send a clear message that crime doesn’t pay by reinvesting money seized from criminals into projects that benefit our communities.”

Grants will be awarded to new, one-off projects that leave a legacy as opposed to continuous year-on-year commitments. This could be, as an example, a road safety project, community engagement activities or a project which supports vulnerable people.

Bids must be submitted to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) directly by local policing teams.

For more information on this fund and how it could benefit your area, please contact your local police team on the relevant details below.

Chester local police team: chester.lpu@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Crewe local police team: crewe.lpu@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Ellesmere Port local police team: ellesmere.port.lpu@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Macclesfield local police team: macclesfield.lpu@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Northwich local police team: northwich.lpu@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Runcorn local police team: runcorn.lpu@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Warrington local police team: warrington.lpu@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

Widnes local police team: widnes.lpu@cheshire.pnn.police.uk

If you do not know which local policing team you come under or who your local PC or PCSO are, you can find out here by typing in your postcode.