PCC announces six-figure investment in youth crime prevention
A major new programme is underway to boost opportunities for young people at risk of being drawn into crime and anti-social behaviour thanks to six-figure investment by Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen.
The County Durham and Darlington PCC has provided a grant worth £118,010 to Future Pathways, an alternative provision provider working with young people who are disengaged from their communities, to deliver services for vulnerable young people living in the Darlington and Ferryhill areas.
The announcement comes as the UK marks ASB Awareness Week - a national campaign organised by Resolve, the UK's leading ASB and community safety organisation, aimed at encouraging communities to take a stand against ASB and highlighting the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it.
The new scheme will involve young people aged 10 to 16 in a range of positive activities including football, walking, boxing, bowling and biking to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
Three sessions will be hosted weekly in 10-week blocks to help young people develop vital life skills to improve their employment prospects and divert them from crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB). Activities will take place between 5pm and 8pm to reflect the peak hours of ASB in the areas.
Workshops are also being delivered as part of the programme to address risk-taking behaviours, focusing on issues such as knife crime, gang involvement, child sexual exploitation, addiction and dependency, sex, relationships and consent, serious violence, county lines and mental health and wellbeing.
Participants will be given the opportunity to become ambassadors of ASB prevention with the opportunity to work with professional bodies to discourage other young people from becoming involved in nuisance behaviour.
As part of a holistic approach, the initiative places a strong focus on family intervention and interaction. This means weekly contact will be maintained between youth workers and the families of those participating to update them on the activities being completed. Families will also receive a five-weekly phone call through the programme to identify any additional needs or support for those young people with particularly challenging behaviour.
At the conclusion of the 10-week block, young people will be invited to showcase the positive activities they have taken part in and will be presented with certificates marking their achievements to help raise their aspirations.
Commissioner Allen said: "I am delighted to be investing further in youth provision in the Darlington and Ferryhill areas and building on the excellent foundations that have been already set through our previous Safer Streets interventions.
"Future Pathways is a highly successful prevention partner, and we are delighted to be teaming with the organisation for the benefit of more young people in Darlington and Ferryhill.
"Experience has shown us that projects that are built around activities that young people enjoy have a more powerful impact and present more opportunities for open communication and trust-building. I am particularly supportive of the focus on family involvement. We know that to successfully challenge and change the mindset of young people, the immediate family must also be fully on-board and endorse the values instilled into the young participants.
"The rewards-based approach is also deliberate. Young people clearly benefit from praise and recognition and by the end of this programme, we hope those involved leave with increased self-esteem, confidence and ambition."
Future Pathways will contribute matched funding worth just over £200k to the project.
The PCC's grant will also provide school holiday provision delivering five hours of day-time support to young people accessing the ASB programme.
ASB typically spikes during the school holidays, putting additional strain on police and civil enforcement resources. Additionally, many families are without the financial means to provide activity for young people in the holidays, resulting in more young people spending more time within the community.
The new provision will include high-intensity activities such as water sports, e-biking and army bootcamps.