Northamptonshire road safety and youth projects in £70,000 financial boost

The money is from the latest round of grants from Northamptonshire police, fire and crime commissioner
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Northamptonshire organisations who help keep people safer will benefit from a financial boost from the county's police, fire and crime commissioner's 'Making Northamptonshire Safer Fund'.

More than £71,000 will be handed to six Northamptonshire organisations and eight parish councils to help young adults stay out of trouble and help road safety initiatives.

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Funding of £41,595 will support projects including a series of youth activity camps, a structured youth fitness training programme to combat anti-social behaviour, an extension to outreach work engaging with youth and community representatives, an employment support programme for young offenders and support to extend the county’s search and rescue capability.

Northants Search and RescueNorthants Search and Rescue
Northants Search and Rescue

A further eight parish councils and schools have received grants of a total of £30,752.81 from the commissioner’s 'Road Safety Fund', to carry out work to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads.

Police, fire and crime commissioner Stephen Mold said: “I set up the funds to help support organisations that can clearly demonstrate how they are contributing to the safety of the county and that support my priorities as outlined in the current police and crime plan.

“Diverting young people from becoming victims of crime or offenders of the future is of significant importance to me and the organisations that I am supporting play a key role in building a legacy of reduced crime and anti-social behaviour.

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“I am delighted to be able to continue investing in charities, social enterprises, voluntary organisations, parish councils and schools that can bring practical solutions and benefits to our communities.

“I strongly believe that working with these grassroots organisations that are advocating and driving positive change will help us deliver our vision for a safer county for all.”

These latest grants mean that since 2017 the commissioner has awarded more than £458,000 of funding to 84 community groups across Northamptonshire as part of the two funding streams.

Neil Balderson, search manager at Northamptonshire Search and Rescue, said: "We are deeply thankful for the grant provided. It has enabled us to make adaptations to our technical rescue vehicle, providing us with vital specialist equipment to improve our rescue capability.

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“We can't express how much the grant means to us, a small charity, especially in these difficult times where Covid has impacted on fundraising opportunities. Nor can we downplay how this has literally helped us to save multiple lives of those most vulnerable in the county."

The latest recipients of the Making Northamptonshire Safer Fund:

• CSD Activity Camps received £9,993.30 to help fund activity sessions for schools and colleges on the Kingswood Estate in Corby to divert young people from anti-social behaviour

• Goodwill Solutions received £7,579.50 to provide employment support for ex-offenders, in and around Kettering, aged between 19 and 26-years-old

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• Northamptonshire Search and Rescue are able to equip their new technical rescue vehicle with essential tools to improve the county’s rescue capability with an award of £8,272.20

• Linwood Community Cooperative in Corby was awarded a grant of £10,000 to extend their outreach programme in Corby by recruiting additional youth and community workers

• Rotary Club of Rushden were able to host a 'Crime and Safety Awareness Day' for students at Rushden Academy thanks to their grant of £1,500 from the 'Small Grants Fund'

• Frank Bruno Foundation was awarded £4,250 towards the running costs of a youth fitness programme across the county, with the aim of combatting social problems and criminal activity.

The latest recipients of the Road Safety Fund:

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• Grange Primary Academy developed Golden ST:EPS, a sustainable and active travel plan and purchased bike storage with their £2,999 grant

• Cottingham Parish Council were awarded £4,265 to fund a speed indication device for outside the primary school, alerting drivers to reduce speed to 20mph

• Scaldwell Parish Council purchased a portable speed reader with their £2,048.81 grant

• Maidwell with Draughton Parish Council received £5,000 to fund two speed indication devices

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• Cranford Parish Council received £4,414 towards their Tufty Project and purchased two speed indicator devices

• Oundle Town Council’s grant of £2,340 enabled them to buy and install a speed indication device to help reduce traffic speed into the town

• Woodnewton Parish Council were awarded £5,000 to put towards their speed awareness project buying three speed indication devices to slow drivers down when approaching the village

• Newnham Parish Council received £4,686 to fund two vehicle activated signs in the village