Last year, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council launched its Community Safety Grant Scheme with great success.
The scheme aims to support local community organisations, voluntary groups, and community projects to help improve community safety within the borough.
Applicants can apply for grants of up to £5,000 to address priorities including serious violence, domestic abuse/violence, anti-social behaviour, and hate crime. Following the success of last year’s scheme, the Council has once again opened up the scheme for 2024, and applications are now open.
The scheme has been instrumental in supporting groups and organisations across the borough.
To raise awareness of violence and anti-social behaviour and the associated consequences, Higham Lane School in Nuneaton successfully applied for a grant of £2,500.
This allowed PMNW (Prison Me No Way) to visit the school and provide several workshops for their year nine students.
PMNW provides real-life learning experiences for children and young people between the ages of eight and 18, to help reduce risky behaviour and prevent them from becoming involved in crime.
The eye-opening day hosted on 21 June revealed the terrible reality of life behind bars.
Students heard firsthand experiences of an ex-offender who had served a jail sentence for drug offences. Giving students an insight into the realities of prison life, the session highlighted the significance of making responsible decisions and the repercussions those decisions could have on their own lives and the larger community.
Students were taught about the hazards and repercussions of engaging in drug-related activities and the risks connected to county lines. They also learnt about the strategies employed by drug dealers to take advantage of children and were taught the skills necessary to withstand such pressures.
In addition to the PMNW! sessions, the Red Cross delivered classes on basic first aid training, and Warwickshire Police provided the pupils with a virtual reality tour of Leamington Police Station's custody suite, where they were able to watch a re-enacted arrest.
For further information about this inspirational day, visit the dedicated Council webpage.
A spokesperson from Higham Lane School said:
“Having been given the opportunity to offer the fantastic Prison Me No Way workshops, we are delighted at the feedback from students and staff at the school.
“The hard-hitting anti-social behaviour topics, teamed with the safeguarding messages the Trust provides, are second to none in our opinion, and so relevant for the students in our local community and beyond.
“Without the funding provided by the Community Safety Grant Scheme, our students wouldn’t have been able to benefit from the messages given by this team of professionals. Messages that are vital to our students becoming well-rounded citizens in an ever-changing society.
“The impact of this day will stay with our students, even beyond their school years.”
Cllr Tim Jenkins, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Communities and Health, said:
“I am so pleased to see the funding from our grant scheme making a real impact in our Borough.
“We are aiming to do all we can to help tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, and violence in our communities, and educating our schoolchildren is a fantastic way to drive home the hazards and consequences of getting involved in such activities.
“The day looked to be a real success, and I hope that many more community organisations will come forward and take advantage of this funding opportunity.”
