£106,000 awarded to community groups in Northamptonshire to enhance safety
The scheme particularly prioritises initiatives protecting and aiding children, women, and young people
In its first year, a Northamptonshire grant scheme has distributed over £106,000 to community groups, aiming to boost safety across the county.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone relaunched the community grant scheme in May 2025, aligning it with her five-year public safety plan.
Eligible applicants can secure between £1,000 and £10,000, provided their projects reduce harm or offending, enhance community engagement, or support vulnerable people locally.
The scheme particularly prioritises initiatives protecting and aiding children, women, and young people.
During the financial year 2025/26, 13 organisations received funding, totalling £106,458, helping Stone achieve her Safe and Sound plan.
Successful projects included diversionary activities for young people utilising sport and music to deter criminal behaviour, trauma-informed therapy for crime victims and perpetrators, and support for women impacted by domestic abuse.
Funding was also granted to empower volunteers to assist those affected by exploitation, trauma, poverty, and addiction.
Northamptonshire Rape Crisis, one of the beneficiaries, received £8,252 for supporting efforts from its Kettering office, including an eight-week psychoeducational art therapy course aiding survivors of sexual violence.
Dawn Thomas, Chief Executive of Northamptonshire Rape Crisis, expressed gratitude, stating that the funding has enabled NRC to provide a safe, creative, and trauma-informed environment for women to explore complex emotions, connect with one another, and understand their own experiences.
Thomas said, “The feedback from clients demonstrates the powerful impact of this group. Women described the course as useful, informative, healing, and a safe space to process emotions that had been difficult to understand after years of abuse.”
Reflecting on the scheme's inaugural year, Danielle Stone said, “When I relaunched my community fund scheme last year, I wanted it to focus on projects that would help me deliver my Safe and Sound public safety plan – with a particular focus on preventing violence against women and girls, creating safer places, and better serving victims of crime.”
Stone expressed satisfaction with the first year’s funding, noting its substantial impact across Northamptonshire’s towns and villages.
She emphasised that community safety requires a collaborative approach, urging groups to consider how to utilise the Safe and Sound Community Fund to support their activities.