Standing With Those Who Keep Our Communities Safe

On Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the Thames Valley Police and Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund ceremony at Reading Town Hall – a celebration of local initiative, civic spirit, and the extraordinary power of communities to keep one another safe.

The Community Fund is, in itself, a remarkable idea. Money recovered from the proceeds of crime – items seized from criminals that cannot be returned to their rightful owners – is redirected to support voluntary and community groups who work every day to prevent crime, support vulnerable people, and strengthen neighbourhoods. In other words, something that once caused harm is transformed into something that helps keep others safe. A small but important victory.

Jointly managed by the PCC and the Chief Constable, the Fund is open twice a year for applications that help achieve the objectives of the Police and Crime Plan. In this latest round, £200,000 was put into the pot. By the time applications closed in late September, 248 organisations had applied, requesting nearly £1.7 million between them – a testament to both the levels of community need and the creativity of local groups tackling crime and its causes.

After careful evaluation, due diligence, and review from the PCC, OPCC team and Chief Constable, 49 organisations were awarded grants totalling £199,871. Every penny will go to charitable purposes, in line with the Police Property Act. And every penny will help prevent crime, protect the vulnerable, and give young people brighter, safer paths.

Friday’s ceremony brought many of these groups together. I found myself genuinely uplifted by the breadth of work represented – from youth mentoring and early-intervention projects to road safety schemes, CCTV installations, community outreach, arts initiatives, and programmes supporting those at risk of exploitation, homelessness or harm. There were several organisations represented I know well already, and some that I need to get to know over the rest of my tenure as High Sheriff.

A few examples – among many deserving recipients:

• Bright Futures Oxfordshire – £5,000 for youth mentoring.

• Beat Routes – £4,000 for youth arts to prevent crime in Slough.

• Hope and Vision Communities – £5,000 for “Building Hope”.

• Switch Lanes CIC – £3,500 for mentoring and workshops to prevent youth crime and anti-social behaviour.

• A Band of Brothers – £4,500 for their Quest for Community programme.

• AT The Bus – £5,000 for a transitions project helping young people stay in school.

• The Iuventas Foundation – £4,680 for early-intervention mentoring.

• Wycombe Youth Action – £5,000 for knife-crime and youth-violence prevention.

• The Prison Phoenix Trust – £1,413 to train volunteers supporting prisoner rehabilitation.

• Dozens of parish councils across Thames Valley investing in SIDs, MVAS units, CCTV and road-safety infrastructure.

And, closer to home for me as High Sheriff of Oxfordshire:
Chipping Norton’s “Keeping Chippy Safe” project received £8,000 – the largest award in this round – supporting collaboration between Thames Valley Police and the Town Council to tackle local issues in a practical, community-led way.

I was also delighted to see Weston on the Green Parish Council awarded £6,650 to improve road safety on the B430 through the installation of new Speed Indicator Devices. As a proud Weston on the Green resident – and with a home situated directly on that very stretch of road – I know just how valuable this investment will be for the safety and peace of our village. Needless to say, I played no part whatsoever in the decision-making, but I am genuinely thrilled for our community.

What struck me throughout the morning was the sheer variety of local solutions. Not policing done to a community, but communities working with the police. Volunteers, charities, youth workers, parish councillors, mentors, and neighbours all pulling in the same direction: to prevent harm before it begins.

That sense of shared ownership – of a community refusing to give up on its young people or on its vulnerable residents – is exactly the spirit I see time and again across Oxfordshire. It mirrors the theme of my shrieval year, Hearing the Young Unheard. Many of the projects funded on Friday do precisely that: they listen to young people at risk of falling through the cracks, and they act early.

As I said afterwards, this is public money put to very good use – money that once did harm is now being used to undo it.

To everyone who applied, whether successful or not: thank you. Your commitment keeps our county safer. And to the 49 organisations awarded funding: may this support help you continue the quiet, determined work that keeps our communities strong.

I left the ceremony truly chuffed to see so many people pulling together, each making their corner of Thames Valley a little safer, a little kinder, and a little more hopeful.