Preston City Council has released a report requesting to accept the Safer Streets Fund Grant from the Home Office which will assist in preventing crime and disorder, substance misuse, re-offending and serious violence in the city.

The aims of the project are to reduce anti-social behaviour, provide safer streets for all, prevent crimes in the category of Violence Against women and Girls (VAWG) and ensure safety inside and outside licensed premises.

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A full delivery of the programme of funded work will be in place in October 2022, and will continue until the end of September 2023. 

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The funding of £146,568 will provide three new CCTV cameras in the city centre, improve facilities available for sexual violence recovery services at Base 18 New Hall Lane, diversionary activities, engagement and education for young people.

Alongside two part-time street monitors to focus on anti-social behaviour, training on vulnerability in the night- time economy sector and the wider community, and additional taxi stewarding to assist people to get home safely after a night out.

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The improvement of facilities at Base 18 New Hall Lane will include improvements to the structure and fabric of the building which is owned by Preston City Council and leased to The Foxton Centre.

Base 18 is a building and a project that started out at the youth community centre in 2012.

A spokesperson on The National Lottery Community Fund website said the Base 18 project aims to help women: “This continuation and expansion of an existing project aims to reduce levels of street sex work in Preston by responding to the range of complex reasons as to why women engage in street sex work whilst tackling the problems that keep women trapped in this way of life.

The impact statement by service users said: “This funding will assist the Council to support service users to reduce vulnerability to harm and to access support in times of greatest need.”

The Council also want an approved and fully funded addition to the capital programme of £97,490.

A meeting will be held on Wednesday 21 September, to discuss whether budgets for funding will be approved.

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