PCC’s funding means young people get to experience something they may never have done before
Monday, October 26, 2026
A small community project which received £2,000 funding from PCC Matthew Scott has detailed how the money is helping to keep it going.
Husband and wife duo Dave and Helen Elstone are behind Cast A Thought, a community interest company which has been helping to transform lives through angling since 2022.
In autumn 2025 they placed a successful application as part of the Police Property Act Fund (PPAF) – re-launched by Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Scott.
The fund is made up of money from items seized by Kent Police and later auctioned off. There have been 116 awards made so far, totalling £223,555.80 since the fund opened.
This autumn’s PPAF is now open and accepting new applications from eligible groups and projects.
‘It just seems to work’
Joint founder Helen Elstone said the PPAF has specifically helped with their sub-project called Fish Fest. It gets young people and adults away from crime and antisocial behaviour and focusing on the task in hand – fishing.
The participants develop a skill and can come away from their usual environment, with many making friends and positive relationships with the organisers and PCSOs who attend.
Mrs Elstone said:
“It’s something so simple, but angling just seems to work.
“The PCC’s fund has helped keep the project running – a lot of our young people haven’t fished before.
“We have the PCSOs come to our classroom sessions and onto the bank – it’s about breaking down barriers between young people and the police.”
Mrs Elstone said their £2,000 funding allocation allowed them to buy and upgrade equipment – but more importantly it funded training for volunteers and a venue space.
She added:
“We want to access more young people and provide them with positive experiences they might not get due to the cost of living, or because it’s simply a niche activity.
“Through getting funding like that we can introduce young people to something they might not ever get a chance to experience.
“That money has made an awful lot of difference.”
PCC Matthew Scott said:
“I am delighted the fund is making a positive impact in the community. It’s amazing to hear the good work that is going on with our younger people to teach them new skills and help build their confidence in ways they may not have been able to before.
“This just demonstrates how vital this fund is and how we are reinvesting money funnelled through crime back into our community, for the greater good.”
The Police Property Act Fund is accepting applications for its autumn round – with the window closing on October 30.
This time the criteria has been amended to allow more people the chance to submit successful applications. Eligible groups must focus on children and young people impacted by crime, anti-social behaviour, vulnerability, or victimisation.
The types of projects that are available range from start-up or seed funding, help to deliver existing initiatives, new approaches or assistance in piloting new approaches.
Organisations already funded by PCC commissioned services may only apply for a grant to support a new, separate project and not to extend or enhance existing funded work.
Those who have been successful will be informed in December. All grants must be spent within 12 months of being issued.
To find out more and apply please press here.
The full parameters over which organisations can apply are here.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
To see a list of other organisations that have previously benefited from the fund, press here.
To find out more about Cast A Thought and Fish Fest, press here.