Allocation of project funding from POCA to the Safer London Foundation

Report: 8
Date: 26 October 2006
By: Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

The Authority is asked to confirm the allocation of £500,000 from POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act) funds to the Safer London Foundation, for use to fund community projects for crime reduction.

A. Recommendation

That £500,000 from available POCA funds be allocated to the Safer London Foundation to be used for grants to community organisations for crime reduction projects.

B. Supporting information

1. Finance Committee on 21 September 2006 received a report from the Commissioner on the allocation of POCA funds. It proposed, amongst other things, that £500,000 be allocated to the Safer London Foundation for grants to community organisations.

2. The Safer London Foundation is the charitable body founded in 2004 by the MPA and MPS, with an initial donation of £250,000 over two years. The Board of the SLF includes representation from the MPA, MPS, GOL, the GLA and other major London businesses. The SLF aims to raise funds from business and other sources, and to support community crime reduction initiatives with financial grants and assistance in kind from sponsors.

3. The Finance Committee approved the allocation to SLF in principle. The Committee was advised that SLF had submitted an application for core funding to the MPA which was to be considered by Co-ordination and Policing Committee (CoP) in November, and so they agreed to defer the POCA decision to CoP to be determined alongside a decision on core funding.

4. The November meeting of CoP Committee has now been cancelled, and the SLF core funding grant application will not therefore be decided until early December.

5. SLF have requested that the Authority give them confirmation of the POCA allocation, in order that they can start the processes to invite bids from community organisations without delay and so facilitate the start of local projects as early as possible in 2007.

6. The assessment of the SLF application for grant for core funding is not complete, but at this stage officers have no cause to think that there is any fundamental reason why a grant should not be made. What COP will be asked to determine is the amount and any conditions to be imposed. The Authority’s decision on those matters should not be compromised by confirming the allocation of POCA funds.

C. Race and equality impact

The allocation of POCA funds will enlarge the access to funding for community organisations, and will generate a wide variety of projects from diverse communities in London.

D. Financial implications

The allocation proposed is to be met from available POCA moneys.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: David Riddle, MPA

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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