Sharing the latest news from the Violence and Vulnerability Unit including;

  • £315,508 awarded through our community grant to help young people in Essex
  • Kings Award for Voluntary Service
  • Child Online Exploitation Week

£315,508 awarded through our community grant to help young people in Essex

We have now awarded our 24/25 community grants to 18 Essex-based charities, all working to improve the lives of children, young people, families and communities within our county.

The grants have been given to a wide range of organisations and will enable local charities to help steer young people away from crime and also support young people who have been victims of crime. Some of the charities to benefit from the £315,508 funding include:

  • £23,000 for Kids Inspire to deliver support sessions to children and families across Essex.
  • £25,000 for a youth café and an outreach programme, including an outreach worker at Southend Vineyard.
  • £22,166 to Lads Needs Dads for an ambassador programme providing community support group and life skills sessions in Colchester.
  • £12,000 to Gateway Community Media to pay for a youth worker in Basildon.
  • £9,790 to Canvey Island’s Yellow Door to fund a youth worker to support young people with behavioural issues.

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and Chair of the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Partnership congratulated all the charities: “The VVU grant supports activities that give children and young people access to mentoring, counselling, friendships and trusted adults.  Many offer positive activities for young people to get involved with – sport, drama, youth clubs – and provide targeted support away from involvement in violent crime or antisocial behaviour.”

Mr. Hirst continued: “All the organisations we are funding are committed to protecting young people, to give them a better future. By working together, we can make Essex a safer place for children to live and grow up in.”

Kings Award for Voluntary Service

One of the recipients of the 24/25 VVU Community Grant was recently honoured with the Kings Award for Voluntary Service.

At an award ceremony earlier this month, Enterprise East, based in Saffron Walden, was presented with the Award by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst.

A Kings Award is the highest possible accolade for a UK voluntary sector organisation and is the equivalent to an MBE.

The VVU community grant was awarded to Enterprise East so they can provide a weekly, free-to-access, Youth Café at the Saffron Walden Jubilee Hub. This will give young people access to trusted adults and a safe space. The café will run a food programme, events for young people including workshops around staying safe. The Kings Award celebrates all those volunteers at Enterprise East that make projects like the community café possible.

Child Online Exploitation Week

Our colleagues over at Essex Safeguarding Children Board (ESCB) are running a week of activity to mark Child Exploitation Awareness Day. There are lunchtime learning events for those working with children and young people. Topics include risk in the community and children who go missing, the perspective of parents, carers and siblings, and the National Referral Mechanism. You can book on to a session at ESCB – Child Exploitation Awareness Day 2024
A podcast for parents and carers by the 2Johns discusses the power of the internet and how to keep children safe online in a virtual world. Parents are encouraged to have open communication with their children about the dangers online, and to take an interest in what their children are doing – the games they are playing, the apps they are using, the channels they are using to communicate. The more parents understand their child’s online world the more they can support and help their child navigate it.

If you would like to find out more about any of the items in this news please get in touch katie.canning@essex.police.uk    Visit our website www.essexvvu.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @EssexVVU Instagram: @EssexVVU or Facebook: Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit