Five community groups in Netherton have each been awarded £4,000 from money seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) to support projects aimed at tackling youth crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.
The funding was announced at an event this week organised by Sergeant Lou Watson from Sefton’s Proactive Team, which brought together nine community groups that had submitted bids of up to £4,000 to benefit Marian Square and surrounding areas. L30 Community Centre, Feel Good Factory, Select Training, Marian Square Social Circles and Comm-unity Youth were all awarded £4,000.
Community response to ongoing issues
Netherton has faced persistent issues with criminality, with five dispersal zones introduced since September 19 in a bid to tackle the problem. The area also saw a stabbing in May and was a focal point for Merseyside Police's Operation Vanguard in July.
Hayley Weston, of Community Youth, said: "The behaviour is an issue. It's half term coming up and kids are going to be off school, that will increase the numbers on the street." She added: "There are still issues in the community so having so many organisations going for funding will give these kids some hope because all they get is negativity. They live up to the expectation so having positive role models will make a difference."
Funding from criminal proceeds
The money comes from POCA, which allows police to strip criminals of money gained through criminality, with thousands of pounds handed back to communities affected by crime.
Sergeant Lou Watson said: "It was a fantastic evening celebrating the incredible work of our local community groups. Each project brought something different, and it was inspiring to see so many people committed to making Marian Square a safer, stronger community. We’re proud to support initiatives like this that empower residents and provide real, lasting solutions to local issues."
Plans for youth education
Hayley hopes the funding will help her organisation provide a six-week course for children covering knife crime, alcohol, and other subjects. She said: "We want to have an incentive at the end of the six weeks, we're also looking into getting a room at the Netherton Activity Centre for people to go on a Friday evening."
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jeanie Bell said: "It was a real privilege to join residents, community groups and partners at the Marian Square Matters Big Bid event and see first-hand the passion, creativity and commitment that exists within this community." She added: "The quality of the bids was outstanding, with every organisation putting forward ideas designed to create opportunities for young people, strengthen community connections and tackle the issues that matter most to people living in this area."
Emma Ankers, a community campaigner, previously noted that many problems are caused by people from outside the area, saying: "It's like [Netherton is] a little island. Everyone knows each other and it's a massive intergenerational area." Hayley added: "It's unrealistic to say we're going to change everyone, but if we can get the vast majority of the kids that are hanging around the streets and try and prevent it from leading to further crime that is what we want."
