Leeds locals urged to have their say on how half a million pound pot will tackle serious violence
The £500,000 of funding has been recovered from criminals and is now being reinvested in communities
Members of the public are being given the chance to decide which projects tackling serious violence in Leeds will get a share of half a million pounds.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin unveiled her ‘People’s Fund’ earlier this year, which has made up to £100,000 available for Leeds and each of the county’s four other districts.
The half a million pounds available has been recovered from criminals and is now being reinvested into communities.
The Leeds community can decide where the money goes when local organisations and groups pitch their ideas in a ‘You Decide’ event at 5.45pm on May 20 at Carr Manor Community School in Moortown.
The projects receiving the most votes on the night will see funding of up to £10,000 to deliver their plans.
The projects will aim to tackle serious violence, whether that be knife crime, organised crime or violence against women and girls.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Our People’s Fund is giving local communities the resources they need to turn their ideas into action.
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“We want people to have their say on what will make their community safer so I'm urging you all to come down and get involved.
“As we invest this money recovered from criminals back into our communities, we can prevent more lives being lost to the scourge of serious violence.”
Events are being held in each of the five districts and people in can attend by signing up online.
Each will run from 5.45-9pm and will be held at:
- Bradford, Thursday May 14 at Bradford College
- Calderdale, Tuesday May 12 at Crossley Gallery, Dean Clough, Halifax
- Kirklees, Thursday May 21 at Northfield Hall in Huddersfield
- Leeds, Wednesday May 20 at Carr Manor Community School, Moortown
- Wakefield, Tuesday May 19 at Outwood Grange Academies Trust, Outwood
It comes ahead of the launch of a co-produced ‘People’s Plan’ on serious violence, shaped by five thousand responses to a public consultation.
For more information on the People’s Fund, visit the Combined Authority’s website, or email [email protected]