West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner reopens My Community Fund to support crime prevention and transform lives with criminal cash
Community groups and organisations will be able to apply for grants aimed at making neighbourhoods safer after the region's police chief announced the return of a fund scheme.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster has announced that £330,000 seized from criminals will be handed back to the public.
The sum, comprised entirely of cash and assets confiscated from and forfeited by offenders, is now available to grassroots organisations dedicated to making their neighbourhoods safer and stronger.
The initiative, known as the My Community Fund, directly reinvests the proceeds of crime back into communities across the region.
Community groups and charities are encouraged to apply for grants of up to £5,000 for projects.
Mr Foster said: “I am pleased to announce that the My Community Fund is back for another year. This is about making sure that crime does not pay.
“There is a real sense of justice in taking money out of the pockets of criminals and putting it back into the hands of the people who are working tirelessly to improve their neighbourhoods.
“Local people know their communities best. This fund empowers them to lead from the front, whether that’s by steering young people away from violence, preventing burglary or making our streets feel safer for everyone.”
Applications are now open to community groups across the West Midlands until Friday, March 13.
To find out if a project is eligible and to submit a bid, applicants are invited to visit the official West Midlands PCC Funding Portal.
