The Police and Crime Commissioner has once again made £330,000 available to community groups who want to make a real difference where they live and to improve people’s lives.
Today, PCC Simon Foster has officially launched the My Community Fund for 2025/2026, which will see him allocate up to £5,000 of funding to local groups and organisations to help them prevent and reduce crime in their neighbourhoods.
The money, which is made up from cash that police have seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, will be allocated to organisations that want to invest in crime prevention and reduction.
The My Community Fund has been set up to support locally based projects, which aim to make a positive difference and to make the West Midlands a safer place to live, learn and work.
Last year, anti-knife crime charity Birmingham Says No were just one of more than 50 groups who received a proportion of the PCC’s £330,000. It enabled them to help aspiring rappers aged between 14 and 21, to work in a professional music studio and to make their own music videos with the help of industry experts.
Rachel Warren, managing director for Birmingham Says No, said: “Without the My Community Fund our project wouldn’t have taken place. As well as giving young people the chance to channel their energy and passion in a positive way, we were able to engage with their friends and families.
“The My Community Fund is brilliant and to have put that money to good use and to say, ‘You know what, you don’t have to pay for this, we’re paying for this, we’re going to champion you on this programme’ has been phenomenal and it was a really big help to us.”
Up to £5,000 will be allocated to each group who apply for the My Community Fund. Each bid is considered against the other work already funded by the PCC, through his Prevention and Intervention funds and Violence Reduction Partnership.
Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said: “The purpose of the My Community Fund is to encourage local people to bring forward ideas, which reflect their local knowledge and understanding of how to prevent and reduce crime and improve community safety. It’s also a brilliant way to engage our young people and for them to do something really positive, whether that’s playing sports or developing their personal skills.
“The money for the fund comes from cash that police have seized from criminals, and it will be prioritised for locally based projects, which aim to make a positive difference in dealing with crime prevention and reduction and show a clear link to my Police and Crime Plan.”
Successful projects are expected to clearly show that the initiative is funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner, as well as providing feedback and evidence, that can be widely used to update the public on the work of the My Community Fund.
You can apply right now, by visiting the application portal here. The deadline for the first round of applications is 11.59pm on Friday, March 14, 2025. No applications can be submitted after this date. For more about the My Community Fund, click here.
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