Wiltshire and Swindon receive Home Office funding for violence prevention
Funding has been announced by the Home Office to target areas with the highest risk of serious violence
Last updated 16 hours ago
The police across Wiltshire and Swindon has been awarded Home Office funding through the Serious Violence Duty to support initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing serious violence in the region.
This funding forms part of a new national allocation and will help partners in policing, health, education, and community services to expand proven prevention activities, strengthen early intervention, and deliver targeted action in communities most affected by serious violence.
The allocation decisions are based on a refreshed Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA), coordinated by the Serious Violence Joint Steering Group, which provides evidence on the nature and scale of serious violence locally.
According to the assessment, 764 serious violence offences were recorded in the year to September 2025, with a reported societal cost of over £13 million.
The estimated true annual cost, accounting for underreporting, could exceed £26 million.
Though Swindon and Wiltshire are considered safer and below the national average, serious violence is unevenly distributed, prompting targeted funding where the risk is highest.
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson emphasised the importance of directing funding to areas where it would have the most impact.
Wilkinson said: “While Wiltshire remains a safe place to live, serious violence continues to cause lasting harm to individuals, families and communities. Addressing it requires a coordinated, system-wide approach.
“The Home Office funding provided through the Serious Violence Duty allows us to act on what the evidence is telling us. This refreshed needs assessment ensures that investment is focused on prevention, early intervention and protecting those most at risk.
“By working together and using shared data and insight, we can deliver targeted action that reduces harm and improves long-term safety across our communities."
Since the introduction of the Serious Violence Duty in January 2023, partners in Wiltshire and Swindon have strengthened information sharing, joint problem-solving, and early intervention efforts, embedding a public-health approach to tackling violence.
The funding will support various targeted initiatives, including focused deterrence programmes, the Synergy data-led intervention, the DiversITy engagement programme, Stronger Futures preventative work, and accredited 'Safer Together' training for professionals.
Additionally, a psychologist-led early intervention pilot will explore partnering between policing and Educational Psychology to provide specialist psychological insight into violence prevention.