The Police and Crime Commissioner has made a commitment to provide appropriate schemes for children and young people from age 8 years to 25 years with a target range of 11 years to 18 years (flexibility will be permitted on the age range if a specified need is defined) who are identified as being at risk of offending, risky behaviour, vulnerable to exploitation and harm, have complex 
needs, live in a family or community which is vulnerable to exploitation and harm. The aim is to ensure that young people are diverted away from the criminal justice system and risky behaviour and provided with appropriate support, guidance, challenge and personal development. The ultimate goal is to tackle young people’s vulnerability, anti-social behaviour, crime and reoffending through families, schools, communities and partnerships.
Grants will be provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner through the Youth Aspiration Fund to invest in a local asset-based (working with individuals’ strengths and community provision) approach across the Greater Manchester area, whilst providing a framework for delivery to ensure that value for money and outcomes are achieved. This investment will help promote both national and local policy for early intervention and prevention with the clear aim to divert young people away from risky behaviour by providing alternative activities and life choices.
The Police and Crime Commissioner wishes to support approaches that reduce crime and the impact on victims. There is unlikely to be a single solution to complex needs that drive risky behaviour, but there is scope for local, community-wide alliances to help children and young people achieve their potential and reduce exposure to known risk factors linked to later behaviour problems or exploitation.
The priority funding themes are:
1. Preventing involvement in serious and organised crime
2. Reducing the risk of child sexual exploitation
3. Building resilience and supporting aspirations
4. Reducing offending
5. Promoting Restorative Justice
Service deliverers are expected to achieve outcomes based around either a focus on or combination of the following:
• Reductions in crime
• Reductions in young people not in education, employment or training
• Improvements in school attendance
• Decrease in antisocial behaviour
• Reduction in teenage pregnancy
• Improved health and wellbeing outcomes
• Increased confidence, tolerance and better social skills in young people
• Reduction of vulnerability of young people at risk of exploitation
• Retain or re-connection of young people with the local community
• Improved personal development and growth that discourages young people from getting involved in crime and increased aspirations and entry to employment
• Increased volunteering from young people
• Decreased demand on public services
• Increased victim satisfaction and confidence
Submissions are actively encouraged for projects/activities that cover more than one local authority area providing they can demonstrate they can meet the local connections expected. Collaborative approaches between different localities and/or the public and voluntary/charity sector will be prioritised.
The Police and Crime Commissioner is seeking expressions of interest from the Public, Voluntary and Community Sector under a grant allocation process for locally based youth aspiration and diversion approaches which focus on the delivery of services to tackle young people’s complex needs, vulnerability, anti-social behaviour, crime and offending. Level 1 Local Youth Grants are restricted to the voluntary/community sector only, for all other levels the public sector can apply or be part of a submission.
The initial grant fund is £500,000. Submissions can be made for:
• Level 1: Local Youth Grants: less than £5,000 but mainly limited up to £1,000. Seed funding and community level support
• Level 2: Above £5,000 and less that £30,000: sustaining and expanding services, pump prime money or for additional services
Help with your application – information sessions
Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner are holding information sessions where staff will explain the information contained in the prospectus and answer any additional questions you have. They can also help with the technical aspects of completing the application form, but they will not be able to help or comment on the content of your application. Spaces on these sessions are limited and you must book your place.
The information sessions are taking place on:
Salford
Date & Time: 12 December 2016m 10am – 12pm
Venue: St Sebastian’s Community Centre, Douglas Green, Salford, M6 6ES
Tameside
Date & Time: 12 December 2016, 6pm – 8pm
Venue: Bennett Street Youth and Community Centre, Lower Bennett Street, Hyde, SK14 4PP
Bolton
Date & Time: 20 December 2016, 10am – 12pm
Venue: Bolton Hub, Bold Street, Bolton, BL1 1LS
Rochdale
Date & Time: 4 January 2017m 10am – 12pm
Venue: Number One Riverside, Rochdale, OL16 1XD
Manchester
Date & Time: 5 January 2017, 6pm – 8pm
Venue: Room 330, GMP HQ, Central Park, Northampton Road, Manchester, M40 5BP
Stockport
Date & Time: 6 January 2017, 10am – 12pm
Venue: Stockport Council, Town Hall, Stockport, SK1 3XE
For further information and to apply, visit: www.gmpcc.org.uk/down-to-business/money/grants-and-funding/, or email: [email protected]
Deadline: Thursday 19 January 2017, 16:00