Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd allocates fund to empower the city’s youngsters as a move to give them the best start in life…reports Kaliph Anaz for Asian Lite News
Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd has awarded 36 youth groups and organisations a slice of his Youth Aspiration Fund to work with thousands of children and young people across Greater Manchester to build their life skills and encourage them to make the right choices.
More than 30 innovative projects in Greater Manchester have won a share of a £600,000 fund to empower the city’s youngsters and give them the best start in life.
Successful bids include hard-hitting initiatives using mock prison cells and real-life experiences to educate young people about the consequences of crime, the development of a youth hub in the heart of the community where young people can get support, advice and learn new skills and interactive, theatre-based projects exploring issues of grooming, bullying and anti-social behaviour.
Tony said: “Young people hold innovative solutions to society’s problems and all they need is to be given a voice and the tools to make the right choices. That’s exactly why I launched the Youth Aspiration Fund, to empower young people and give them the opportunity to develop their confidence, team-building and to respect themselves and their communities – essential skills for making the best start in life.
“I’ve been really impressed by the quality of the bids and I want to thank everyone who has applied. It reaffirms my belief that the enthusiasm and passion to support every young person in reaching their potential and bring about real change in their community is engrained throughout Greater Manchester.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the impact of these projects on the youngsters involved and the wider community.”
Challenge 4 Change, based in Trafford Park, has been awarded £25,000 for the ‘Team-mates not Inmates’ project which will work with young people to educate them on the consequences of getting involved in risky behaviour. Delivered using a purpose built prison, youngsters will experience what life is like behind bars, hearing real-life stories from ex-offenders, ex-prison service staff and families of prisoners.
Working with police, local authorities, schools and the third sector, the project will help young people choose a life away from crime by developing their confidence, self-esteem and team-building skills in an open and hard-hitting environment.
Other successful projects include:
- Wai Yin Society – £20,000 – Working with 12-24-year-olds from the Chinese and Somalian communities to develop self-esteem, raise aspirations and provide support and guidance onto their chosen career path as part of 26-week intensive programme of activity.
- Mothers Against Violence – £10,000 – The Building a New Generation project will engage with 50 young people over 12 months, and provide parenting support for more than 30 parents to divert young people away from criminality and reduce the risk of child sexual exploitation.
- Chabad Lubavitch – £8,000 – To recruit a part-time case worker to work with young members of the Orthodox Jewish community at risk of offending, risky behaviour, exploitation or harm. The organisation will also deliver interactive school sessions and work with families to raise awareness of issues such as health and wellbeing.
- Salford Foundation – £30,000 – Providing mentoring support for vulnerable young people to increase self-esteem, build resilience and raise aspirations to prevent offending and anti-social behaviour.
