Anti-racism charity in Chudleigh benefits from seized criminal funds
Local community group Chudleigh Against Racism is one of the latest charities to benefit from funding from Devon & Cornwall Police’s Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) grant scheme.
The grant of £400 from the South Devon police team was used in part by Chudleigh Against Racism (CAR) to facilitate bystander training at Chudleigh Community Primary School, giving teachers at the school tools to recognise and challenge prejudiced behaviours, giving them the knowledge and confidence to see and report hate crimes. CAR is part of the ‘Social and Environmental Action 'round Chudleigh’ (SEARCH) network.
The bystander training was well received with one teacher remarking to CAR “Thank you again for facilitating it and for drawing attention to us all, how we as teachers and members of a community can help support others so the world is a more inclusive place. It certainly made us think as teachers how we can respond to make a real difference”
The purpose of Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 is to deprive convicted criminals of any financial benefit that they may have made through their crimes, funds are then reinvested into local community projects. The South Devon POCA fund awards grants ranging from a couple of hundred pounds up to two thousand pounds to pay for anything from youth sports kit to kitchen equipment to volunteer training.
Mary Anne McFarlane, SEARCH secretary said - “The teachers have all been really positive about the training, both to help guide them in schools and personally. Everyone felt it wasn’t too much info so it was easy to stay focused and follow it and it was nice to have the clearly illustrated examples. Discussion time was good because it gave the chance to share personal experiences.”
Superintendent Ed Wright, Local Policing & Partnerships said - “The POCA fund is a vital process that allows us to take funds that would ordinarily have been used to fund crime and reinvest them into worthwhile community projects.
“Each year in South Devon we issue grants totalling tens of thousands of pounds in support of projects which can help young people who are at risk of offending, who engage in anti-social behaviour, are subject to drug or alcohol abuse or who regularly skip school. This is a great example of how a relatively small money award can yield important results.”