Police cash will tackle knife crime in Leeds schools

The LED Community Foundation was one of 57 projects across West Yorkshire to receive a share of more than £250,000 from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Safer Communities Fund. The foundation will be working with schools to increase awareness of the dangers and wide reaching consequences of carrying a knife.

John Thornton, retired police officer and co-founder of the group, said: “With knife crime growing at an alarming rate in the UK it is vital we educate young people about the dangers. We need to support young people so they can make positive, informed decisions around the issues of knife crime, violence and gangs. The hour-long lessons are really engaging for young people – we don’t go in and preach, we debate, discuss and educate in a creative way that really gets their attention.”

PCC Mark Burns-Williamson handed out the money at awards event in Calderdale on March 21. It was the latest round of the scheme, which has so far handed out more than £2.6m.

He said: “I want the fund to be able to help even more during the ongoing austerity, so I have made the decision to increase the maximum grant from £5,000 to £6,000 for each project in future grant rounds. The next grant round of the fund opens for applications on April 15. More details will be available on my website shortly.”

The Safer Communities Fund is financed through money recovered from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) by West Yorkshire Police and prosecutors.