Partnership awarded £67,000 Safer Streets Funding

Blaby District Council and Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, working together as part of a joint Community Safety Partnership, were supported by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Leicestershire Police to secure the funding as part of a ‘Safer Streets’ bid. 

The funding will be used to enable the councils to continue improving public places and ensure that the night-time economy is safer for women and girls.

The Safer Streets Fund is a Home Office fund which enables PCCs and local authorities to bid for investment in initiatives that have been proven to prevent neighbourhood crime.

The funding will help deliver specialist training to licensees and staff in local venues to ‘spot the signs’ and to call out inexcusable behaviour to address unwanted sexual and violent behaviour to women and girls; CCTV improvements and a range of measures to tackle youth antisocial behaviour including educational campaigns and enhanced youth outreach activities and mentoring.

The projects will be delivered in locations across Blaby and Hinckley and Bosworth where there have been increased reports of youth antisocial behaviour or violence against women and girls.

Councillor Les Phillimore, Joint Chair, Blaby and Hinckley and Bosworth Community Safety Partnership said:

Everyone has the right to feel safe in their local area. We hope these improved measures will make our public spaces and venues safer and give increased confidence to women who rightly want to feel comfortable on a night out.

This funding is excellent news and will enable us to enhance our work in reducing anti-social behaviour. The work will involve working positively with young people in our area via a diversion and mentoring initiative.

Councillor Michael Mullaney, Joint Chair, Blaby and Hinckley and Bosworth Community Safety Partnership said:

The safety of all women and girls has always been a high priority for us and that is why we are committed to safeguarding and preventing harm. We work closely with the Police and other partners to ensure local support services are accessible and ensure work is being done at a local level to tackle sexual violence, as well as harassment and abuse against women and girls.  The funding will also help to increase the offer of youth outreach to support young people and divert them from offending. 

My thanks to all involved in the bid, this money gives us a great opportunity to continue and develop projects that will tackle anti-social behaviour, challenge behaviours which threaten women and girls, raise awareness, and help people to feel safer.

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews said:

This is wonderful news for the communities of Blaby and Hinckley and Bosworth and will fund a variety of new safety resources to increase public confidence when using our public spaces, especially among women and girls. 

We know that preventative measures such as enhanced CCTV can deter crime and violence and reduce the fear of crime. Alongside proactive training for night-time staff and educational work with young people, this funding will ensure problems are tackled at the earliest opportunity before they escalate or cause future harm.  

Keeping people safe is a top priority and I am determined to reduce the risks and threats that not only impact on safety but cause fear and uncertainty. I am grateful to our local authority partners for helping to secure Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland the money it deserves to make a difference.