Following a £10,000 award to Leicestershire Victim First from the Commissioner’s Safety Fund (part of the Office of Police & Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland), we are proud to announce the creation of our Victim Assistance Fund, designed to support victims of crime in Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.
Our Victim First service exists to help victims and witnesses in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to cope and recover from the impact of crime, regardless of how long ago it happened, or whether it was reported to the police.
Based on our existing fund in Hertfordshire run by our Beacon service, the Victim Assistance Fund will be used on a case-by-case basis we identify a need for someone being supported by Victim First who would benefit from the purchase of an item or a service. The need is identified by our case workers where there are exceptional circumstances, where an item or service would help improve a victim’s recovery from the effects of crime.
Our Hertfordshire Beacon service set up its Victim Assistance Fund in 2020 as an additional part of our contracted victim support service, following an identified need to further support victims of crime. Since its creation it has grown in requests for its use, supporting 101 people from November 2022-23 – of these, 38 had been victim of Domestic Abuse, 19 of anti-social behaviour, and four of hate crime.
The most popular item provided by the Victim Assistance Fund elsewhere is Ring Doorbell Cameras, with similar items such as dash cameras, night vision cameras and security cameras with memory cards also being common. We have also supplied window alarms, mobile phones with sim cards where appropriate.
These security-related items allow victims to feel more secure in where they live or when they are travelling. Allowing victims of crime to feel more secure helps them get over the negative impact of crime, work on rebuilding their lives and regain any lost feelings of independence, as crime often leaving victims feeling helpless.
For more information on the victims services Catch22 delivers in Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire and Greater London, visit https://www.catch-22.org.uk/what-we-do/criminal-justice/victim-services/
If your organisation is interested in supporting our victims services by funding initiatives such as this, please contact our partnerships team at partnerships@catch-22.org.uk