The PCC created his Violence Reduction Challenge in 2018 to look at the nature of violent crime in Kent, and to agree a partnership approach to tackling the underlying causes. The year-long study was partly in response to the Government's own Serious Violence Strategy.

One of the recommendations, announced in March 2019, was for the PCC to set aside a portion of his annual commissioning budget to create a Violence Reduction Fund (VRF). This fund will support activities such as, awareness campaigns, prevention initiatives, rehabilitation projects, and diversionary activities. Ultimately, the PCC wants to play a part in helping protect some of our most vulnerable people from the most violent.

The VRF is a three-year fund, which is open to statutory organisations, community and voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises to bid for a maximum of £35,000 per year, for three years. The provision of funding will be subject to the submission of satisfactory monitoring and adherence to the VRF grant conditions.

Funding recipients

Funding recipients 2019/20

Organisation Nature of Project £
Rising Sun and Choices Guiding Lights: Support for girls aged 11-16 who are at risk of child sexual exploitation or from being in a coercive and controlling relationship  35,000
Kent CrimeStoppers Fearless: Educating 11-16 year-olds by increasing their awareness of weapons, street crime and child sexual exploitation  35,000
Total Insight Theatre My Choice Matters: A 60-minute drama performance about knife crime for young people aged 12-15  13,909
Uprising Youth and Community Knife crime awareness campaign in east Kent  32,000
Folkestone Youth Project The Shed: Social, emotional and physical support for young people who have made unhealthy and negative life choices  7,850
The Forward Trust Violence Reduction Peer Mentoring programme for clients accessing their East Kent Community Drug and Alcohol Services  34,125
Kent Police Mini-Cadets: Nine-week programme delivered in schools, with a social act project to conclude  36,814
Reform Restore Respect I Didn't Know That: 90-minute workshops delivered to Year 6 pupils around gang violence and knife crime  5,000
Kent Police Domestic Abuse Pilot: Procurement of a programme of workshops for identified perpetrators of domestic abuse in Medway  24,750