MPA establishes new charity to support community safety projects across the capital

15/04
5 March 2004

The Metropolitan Police Authority today approved the foundation of a new independent charity – ‘The Safer London Foundation’ - to support community projects for crime reduction, youth diversionary activities and community safety projects across London.

The charity’s name was chosen to reflect its independence from both the Met and the Authority while clearly associating it with the shared vision to make London the safest major city in the world.

It will have the dual purpose of raising funds from available sources and then distributing these to the causes identified. Being independent it will enable the MPA and MPS to support various community safety projects without compromising its enforcement and investigative integrity.

Toby Harris, Chair of the Authority, said:

“The creation of a charitable company will enable the MPA to support a wide range of charitable activities for vulnerable groups and individuals across London, using funding streams and resources it is unable to use as a statutory body.

“We are sure that distribution of funds from this new source will make a real contribution to existing and future projects across our city. It will also help with our aim to reduce people’s fear of crime by actively contributing to diversionary and crime reduction activities."

It is anticipated that the charity’s annual income will exceed £1 million once fully established.

Notes to editors

1. The charity will be a new legal entity, a ‘charity limited by guarantee’. Its foundation was recommended by the Accenture report commissioned by the MPA on ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness for Income Generation’ in April 2002 (recommendation 21).

2. It will take approximately seven months for the charity to become operational, a period that will include registering the limited company and then gaining charity status from the charity commissioners.

3. It is envisaged that the charity will need approximately two years to establish itself before it is completely self sufficient in terms of running costs. A maximum sum of £250,000 over two years is being sought to cover the costs.

4. The objectives of the charity are:

• supporting youth diversion and crime reduction work;
• establishing a research and development centre to help crystallise products and strategies for crime reduction;
• representing police and community interests in community safety; and
• giving financial grants to police and community projects.

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