Bedfordshire Police has donated £15,000 to the Bid4Better Participatory Budgeting scheme to support projects tackling serious youth violence in Bedford.
Seven projects, based in the Kempston, Kingsbrook and Cauldwell have submitted a short video about what they are planning to do to tackle these issues in their area.
How the funding is shared will be decided through ‘participatory budgeting’, a decision-making tool where the community decide where public money should be spent to combat an issue.
Individuals from each of the communities, who register to take part, can vote for the project they think will have the most impact.
Virtual voting will be held on Saturday, 22 August, 2pm to 4pm.
Tackling serious youth violence is one of Bedfordshire Police’s priorities.
Last year there was a nine per cent decrease in incidents of serious youth violence in the county, which works out at around 200 fewer victims.
“This is a great opportunity if you are a resident in one of these three areas, as you are able to have your say over which project is chosen to help tackle youth violence issues within your community,” said Chief Inspector Mo Aziz, from the Bedford community policing team.
“We want to encourage as many people as possible to register for the virtual voting event on 22 August.
“The online voting process is fun and creative and you can find out more of what is happening in your area. There is also the chance to win a special prize to.”
To take part in the event residents needs to:
- Like and follow the Bid4Better Facebook page to receive further information.
- Register at Eventbrite, to receive an invite to the virtual voting event.
If you’re not able to do the above, you can email bid4better@gmail.com or antigua@mutualgain.org for more information about how to register.
If you are involved with a gang and want to get out, you can find information and support at the Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit’s website.
