Government pledges more than £1m to help Plymouth recover from mass shooting
The money will be invested in community safety, policing and specialist support workers
Last updated 23rd Sep 2021
Plymouth has secured more than £1 million in government funding in the wake of the mass shooting.
The funding to help Keyham and the wider city recover was announced during a debate in the House of Commons.
Crime, Policing and Justice Minister Kit Malthouse told MPs it will be invested in community safety and policing, as well as specialist support workers.
The debate was secured by local MP Luke Pollard, who fought back tears as he said too many children saw things they should never have to see.
Where will the money be spent?
1) £800,000 to be invested into community safety and policing to help rebuild confidence and reassure people that Keyham is a safe place to live, work and go to school.
2) Over £300,000 for the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Police and Crime Commissioner to commission additional support services for the victims and witnesses.
3) Further case workers and specialist emotional support will be made available to help children and young people who witnessed the acts of violence.
5) An additional 130 spaces for local mental health services.
The minister also acknowledged that conversations were also underway about additional support for children through schools.
Mr Malthouse praised the city’s response to the tragedy, including the Plymouth Together Campaign, saying it was something that Keyham could be ‘incredibly proud’ of.
He also thanked Luke Pollard MP for raising the issue and for his constructive dialogue with ministers.
He said: “I know that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Victim Support, Plymouth City Council and other local partners have done outstanding work in supporting those impacted by this incident, drawing in support from across the entire city and I would like to express my gratitude for their constructive and proactive approach".
The announcement follows the submission of a funding bid to the government to ensure a wide range of agencies can continue to provide both immediate and long term support to those who have been impacted by the tragedy, as well as for the wider community.
Luke Pollard MP said: “Over the past few weeks I’ve been making the case to Ministers for this cross-party bid for funding to provide Keyham with the long-term support we need, so this announcement is very welcome.
“This is just the start though. The support put into Keyham and Ford has been incredible so far but we will need Government to help us sustain it.
“We will continue to press Ministers for confirmation of the support we need from their departments".
Cornwall's MPs also spoke during the debate, including South East Cornwall's Sheryll Murray.
She paid tribute to one of the victims, Kate Shepherd, who lived in her constituency's village of Kingsand before moving to Plymouth.
The Duchy's MPs agreed it was vital to secure the funding to help people come to terms with what happened, especially children.
You can watch the full debate on the government's Parliament TV website.