Helping Communities Fund

The Helping Communities Fund (HCF) has been relaunched with a further £180,000 on offer to help make communities in the West Midlands safer.

It is made up from money which has been seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and is used to allow communities to invest in their neighbourhoods to improve safety

This money, which changes each year dependent on seizures, cannot be spent on police officers.

Its purpose is to support locally based projects which aim to make a positive difference and which make the West Midlands a safer place to live, learn or work. All funded projects will contribute to crime prevention & reduction, and community safety in the local area. 

Through this funding, the Police & Crime Commissioner is encouraging active public citizenship and a closer working relationship between local communities and West Midlands Police.

Since October 2021 the Commissioner has provided each Local Policing Area with a share of the £400,000 budget to help fund community projects.

The remaining Helping Communities Funds are now open to applications from Tuesday, May 9th, 2023.

Bids must be submitted by noon on Tuesday May 30th 2023; late applications will not be accepted.

Decisions will be made by community panels from W/C 19th June 2023.

The Commissioner has provided each Local Policing Area (LPA) with a share of the budget to help fund community projects that reflect his aims and the priorities of West Midlands Police. Whilst priority will be given to projects within Impact Areas (see list below) this will not exclude other areas.

Impact Areas:

The PCC is looking for innovative and exciting projects, so once you are confident your project meets the criteria, don’t hesitate to contact your LPA, and make a start on an application. 

You can read about similar projects we have supported through this funding on our news page. These include:

Wolverhampton Wrestling Club, who were funded to run community sessions and open their doors to all members of the community who may need support, focusing on wellbeing, confidence and employment.

Birmingham Urban Rhythm Network, supported young people throughout lockdown with different sessions including Music, Dance, Gaming and Fitness.

And Fridays Coventry, who recently were awarded a National Crime Beat Award for their crime prevention work which includes activities to keep vulnerable individuals off the streets and engaged in positive activities.

[If you have an exciting project idea, but it doesn’t quite fit within the remit of this fund, please contact us at [email protected] where we will be happy to provide advice and guidance on any alternative available funding streams]

Important Dates:

This round of funding officially opens on Tuesday, May 9th, 2023

Your bid must be submitted to your NPU contact by noon on May 30th, 2023

Decisions will be made by community panels  from W/C 19th June 2023

Data Protection

Bids will be considered by decision-making panels which will include members from local communities.  Please be aware that by submitting an application you are consenting to the information within the application being shared.

Pre application – LPA Contact Details

• Birmingham: [email protected]

• Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall & Wolverhampton: [email protected]

General Enquiries

For general enquiries you can contact the Police & Crime Commissioners Office at [email protected]