Today (Monday 5th July), the Government announced that Greater Manchester’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) will receive an additional £3.37m plus £1.862m for policing.

The VRU’s community-led approach to violence reduction brings together Greater Manchester Police, National Probation Service, health and education professionals, youth justice and local authorities to address the underlying causes of violence and work together with communities to prevent it.

To ensure communities lead the way and have a say in how programmes are delivered, the VRU works closely with local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. In March 2021, two alliances made up of VCSE organisations in Bolton and Manchester were awarded funds as part of Greater Manchester’s £500,000 investment in community-led pilots, which are being rolled out in six boroughs as part of the Serious Violence Action Plan launched last summer.

Each community-led pilot is tailored to the local community’s needs. For example, in Manchester, the VRU is working closely with 84YOUTH, a youth led organisation that deals with the causes of youth violence, to deliver a peer mentoring scheme for young people in challenging situations. 84YOUTH offers a positive outlet for emotion and builds aspirations through music and projects. A portion of the additional funding will allow this vital work to continue.

Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor for policing and crime, Bev Hughes, has welcomed the funding boost.

“This extended funding will enable us to progress with the positive work underway in Greater Manchester to tackle serious violence.

“Through the Violence Reduction Unit, agencies and professionals across the city-region have been working hard to address the underlying causes of violent crime. This includes developing a community-led approach which sees residents actively involved in identifying solutions to prevent young people becoming engaged in violence. “In 2020 nearly 12,500 victims of violent crime were referred to commissioned support services. Alongside this, police are also carrying out targeted enforcement activity to seize weapons, intercept the illegal purchase of weapons and continue to provide reassurance to communities affected by violent crime.”

Watch a short video (1 minute) about the impact of the VRU’s work:

Article posted on: 05/07/2021 10:07am