Youth arts projects awarded crime cash

Money seized from criminals will be invested in projects working with vulnerable young people in West Yorkshire, including initiatives focusing on music, drama and martial arts.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has announced the latest round of the Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund, which distributes funds that police have recovered from criminal activity in projects that help make the area safer.

A total of 58 groups were awarded grants. These include £20,000 for a project from Connecting Roma that will provide a “culturally appropriate safe space” for Roma young people and their families, where they can take part in traditional music and dance. The organisation will also hold educational workshops with the police and other organisations on topics such as exploitation and knife crime.

Bradford-based theatre company Common/Wealth has also received around £20,000 for a project that will incorporate drama into work “developing confidence, team-working and role-playing decision making” to develop soft skills among young people at risk of offending.

Other projects will involve activities such as film-making, song-writing and martial arts.

Evie Manning, Common/Wealth’s co-artistic director, said the funding will help young people in “developing skills for future successful lives, whilst telling their stories in their own voices”.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “Projects like these which tackle problems at a grassroots level are instrumental to delivering our new Police and Crime Plan and making West Yorkshire a safer, fairer place for all.”