COMMUNITY projects only have two weeks left to apply to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for a share of £150,000 in cash seized from criminals and from the sale of unclaimed found property.

The clock is ticking and applicants only have until 4pm on Friday 22nd July to submit their bids for a share of the cash from Gwent PCC Jeff Cuthbert’s Partnership Fund. The grant scheme is funded by the proceeds of crime awarded to the police and from the sale of unclaimed found property. It’s open for bids from charities, voluntary organisations and community groups involved in activities that have a positive impact on their communities in preventing crime and anti-social behaviour.

Each group will be able to apply for between £250 and £10,000 from the £150,000 available and will need to demonstrate how their project will deliver against specific areas of focus highlighted by the Commissioner which include preventing crime; protecting people from serious harm; taking more effective action to tackle anti-social behaviour; and providing better opportunities for some of the most vulnerable and excluded people in the community.

Since the Partnership Fund was launched by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner three and a half years ago, nearly £500,000 has been awarded to 150 community projects across Gwent. The money retrieved has usually been obtained through illegal means such as drug dealing.

Urging community projects to bid for the funding, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, said: “I am looking to fund projects which can support front-line policing in the prevention of crime and anti-social behaviour and which offer opportunities for people who are disaffected or disengaged. I want this money to have a real positive impact on the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

The electronically downloadable application form and accompanying guidance notes for applicants are available on the Gwent PCC website www.gwent.pcc.police.uk . Hard copies can also be obtained by emailing the Commissioner’s office directly on [email protected] or calling 01633 642 200.