Victims Of Crime Across South Wales Will Soon Benefit From Additional Services

Over £170,00 was jointly awarded to ten organisations which will now move forward to provide support services to women and men who have suffered through domestic abuse, LGBT communities who have suffered through hate crime and anti-social behaviour and support services for children, who have been subject to violence or crime ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales along with members of the community who have been affected by crime, attended an event on June 16 this year to listen to 13 organisations present their bid for cash from the Victims Fund, to support new or existing projects that work with individuals and families who have been directly or indirectly affected by crime. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Over £170,00 was jointly awarded to ten organisations which will now move forward to provide support services to women and men who have suffered through domestic abuse, LGBT communities who have suffered through hate crime and anti-social behaviour and support services for children, who have been subject to violence or crime. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mechanisms such as music, art and drama and more traditional methods such as counselling will be used to support people who have suffered, and will help give them the confidence and the tools needed to help them crime cope and recover from their experiences. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Alun Michael, South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner said: “I am delighted that we have been able to support organisations with funding and look forward to receiving progress reports over the coming year and to see how this work makes a difference to victims’ lives. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Improving outcomes for victims of crime is a key priority within the police and crime reduction plan recently published for south Wales. Crucial to this is ensuring that members of the community affected by crime helped us decide where our money is spent.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

John Williams a member of the judging team who has been affected by crime said, “I had no idea that the Commissioner’s office 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, thought the event 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.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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, my son 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.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Please see below a list of those organisations who will benefit from the Victims Fund: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

– Port Talbot and Afan Women’s Aid – £16,376
– Cardiff Women’s Aid – £20,000
– Valley and Vale community Arts £20,000
– Women’s Aid Rhondda Cynon Taf £19,621
– Welsh Women’s Aid £19,994
– Community Music Wales £18,818
– Unity Group Wales £20,000
– Ynys Saff, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Sexual Assault Referral clinic £9,289
– Safer Wales Ltd £20,000
– Safer Merthyr Tydfil £18,608 ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​