West Yorkshire community groups to benefit from £1m confiscated from criminals

A BRADFORD theatre company will work with young people who might be at risk of falling in with the wrong crowd thanks to cash seized from criminals.

West Yorkshie Mayor Tracey Brabin is today handing out £1m of cash seized from offenders to community organisations.

Common/wealth theatre company in Bradford will receive £19,536 from the fund.

It will be working with young people at risk of and experience of offending to deliver a drama programme with a performance outcome as part of Bradford 2025.

Evie Manning, Co-Artistic Director, Common/Wealth, said: “At Common/Wealth, we believe in the power of theatre to transform lives.

“The funding we received from the Mayor will enable us to collaborate with young people at risk of offending from across Bradford, helping them to build confidence and resilience through drama, developing skills for future successful lives, whilst telling their stories in their own voices.”

A total of 58 community projects were awarded funds at an event held at Bradford Academy on Monday evening.

Another of the projects will be carried out by R-Youth CIC, a Wakefield-based organisation that works with vulnerable children and young people from high-crime areas who may be risk of gang involvement or criminal activity.

The organisation’s Director, Mohammed Amran Nazir, said: “Too many young people are being pulled into crime, exploitation, and violence simply because they have nowhere else to turn. At R-Youth CIC, we refuse to let that be their only path.

“This funding from the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund will help us disrupt that cycle by providing a lifeline structured sports, mentoring, and a positive support network.

“Through Multi-sports and Pathways to Education, we’ll engage young people from high-crime areas, giving them the confidence, discipline, and opportunities they deserve. This isn’t just about sport; it’s about saving futures.”

Since its inception in 2021, the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund has handed out a total of £4,042,628 to 415 local projects.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said: “I am delighted we have been able to invest in these local community groups, ensuring their crucial work continues.

“Projects like these which tackle problems at a grassroots level are instrumental to delivering our new Police and Crime Plan and making West Yorkshire a safer, fairer place for all.

“I can’t thank these organisations enough for the huge difference they make here in West Yorkshire – they have the power to truly transform lives.”

The funding comes from cash and assets seized from criminals by police and prosecutors under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

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