Victims Award Over £170,000 Of Commissioner’s Cash To Support Direct Services To Crime Victims
Victims of crime across South Wales will soon benefit from new services available locally to them through funding provided Police & Crime Commissioner Alun Michael.
Victims of crime across South Wales will soon benefit from new services available locally to them through funding provided Police & Crime Commissioner Alun Michael.
10 organisations have benefitted from the money, including Cardiff Women’s Aid, Valley and Vale Community Arts and Unity Group Wales. The film below shows the presentations of the 10 successful organisations:
Liza Kellet, the Chief Executive of the Community Foundation in Wales, who helped to facilitate the allocation of funding said
“It has been a pleasure to develop this fund with the South Wales Police & Crime Commissioner to support voluntary and third sector organisations to develop specialist services for victims across South Wales”
Over £170,000 was awarded to ten of the organisations which will now move forward to provide support services to women and men who have suffered through domestic abuse, LGBT communities who have been affected by hate crime and support services for children, who have been subject to violence or crime.
Activities such as music, art and drama as well as more traditional methods like counselling services will be used to support people who have suffered, and help give them the confidence and tools needed to recover from their experiences.
South Wales Police & Crime Commissioner Alun Michael, said:
“I am delighted that we have been able to support these fantastic organisations and look forward to witnessing the progress over the coming year to see how these projects are actually making a difference to victims’ lives. It’s wonderful to see the level of commitment and concern for fellow human beings that is demonstrated by these voluntary organisations.”
Improving outcomes for victims of crime is a key priority within the joint South Wales Police & Crime Reduction Plan, which the Chief Constable and I have recently published. Crucial to this is ensuring that members of the community affected by crime help us decide how funding is allocated.”
On June 16 2016 the Police & Crime Commissioner for South Wales and the Community Foundation in Wales, hosted members of the community who have been affected by crime, to consider the 13 applications to the Victims Fund for support for new or existing projects to help people directly or indirectly affected by crime.
John Williams a member of the judging team who has been affected by crime said
“I had no idea that the Commissioner’s Team ran such events. It is so sad that in 21st century Britain we have to support people with as many charities as we have but it makes me wonder – What would happen if we didn’t have them?”
“It was an incredibly interesting opportunity for me to attend the event and to see that the sums of money being applied for are going to be used for the purpose stated, and to be a part of that is so rewarding.”
Kelly from Swansea is another member of the judging team affected by crime, and thought the event was an excellent idea, she said
“I particularly liked the Dyn project, which offered support for men who had been subjected to domestic abuse. I understand the difficulty in dealing with domestic abuse, and feel it may be more difficult for a man – perhaps this is a step in the right direction to encourage men to seek support.”
However, it was the counselling for children project that pulled at Kelly’s heart strings, she said:
“It was a project that promised to counsel children as young as three, and this wasn’t available when I went through my experience.”
“I remember my son’s father coming home one night and the police arriving shortly afterwards. The incident must have caused some damage to him, he was just two and a half years old, and I had never seen anything like it, he cried, tears were running down his face, and there was no noise, it was as though he was silently crying.
“He used to be a full sleeper, but he hasn’t had a single night of uninterrupted sleep since – his brain doesn’t seem to be able to switch off, and I feel counselling may have helped him, and know that by assisting to choose the service as one of the funding benefactors, other children in need of support will receive it.”
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