PCC's Community Action Fund

Youth Adventure Trust works with vulnerable and disadvantaged children aged 11-16 from the most
deprived urban and rural areas of Wiltshire and Swindon. This funding was to run six Youth Adventure
Trust activity days for 90 young people, targeted to those who are most vulnerable - families with a
history of substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic violence, criminal backgrounds or who
have been involved anti-social behaviour. Young People are referred by schools, Social Services, Young
Carers etc with issues such as challenging/aggressive behaviour, concerns for mental health,
depression, anxiety, stress or learning difficulties. The activity days improve outcomes for young
people at risk of disengagement, social isolation, youth offending or anti-social behaviour.

Warminster and Westbury youth clubs closed during the lockdowns and some online support was
available for young people, as required. The clubs are often a refuge for young people who would
otherwise be hanging around on the streets or feeling socially isolated from their peers. Both
Westbury and Warminster have pockets of deprivation and the youth clubs are particularly aimed at
those who are unable to access other more expensive activities. The grant was to enable the clubs to
cover the costs of reopening, post lockdown, in line with guidelines, and to ensure they are Covid-safe.

Street Pastors are an established approach in various locations around the UK,supporting the Police and
night-time economy to improve community safety. Salisbury Street Pastors patrol the streets and parks in
the centre of Salisbury and are trained to be a caring, listening and helping presence on our streets. They
have been active in Salisbury since 2009, largely operating at the weekend, organising patrols in
consultation with the Police and with Pubwatch, and also working closely with Wiltshire Council and
Salisbury City Council. Finances and fundraising were affected by Covid and this grant helped towards PPE,
co-ordination, core costs, recruitment and training.

Warminster Street Pastors provide a similar service as outlined above, and again the grant was to enable
them to safely resume services during Covid.

This grant enabled Julian House to support clients through its‘Employability Through Cycle Skills’ project at
their Trowbridge Bike Workshop. The project enables homeless and socially excluded adults in Wiltshire to
gain vital employability skills, qualifications and experience that enables them to address barriers to work
and build independent, sustainable lives. The Build-a-Bike course provides a hands-on learning opportunity
for those with low literacy levels and clients develop a range of soft skills (teamwork, communication, time
management) and hard skills (repairing and servicing a bicycle, bicycle maintenance) and have the option
of gaining 3 AQA accreditations. They learn to identify and articulate their new skills and experiences in CVs
and job applications with the guidance of Employment Support Workers, who also provide support in job
seeking and interviews.

Splitz Support Service in Trowbridge delivers support services across Wiltshire to adults and young
people experiencing the trauma of domestic abuse and sexual violence. This funding is providing
specialist advice for victims of domestic abuse with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), as the
pandemic has led to an increase in referrals. Victims require specialist knowledge, support and
advocacy to navigate the complex legal framework in which economic and housing support can be
accessed. Advisors require specialist training and approval to carry out this work, so this grant
provided funds for training and crisis funding for emergency accommodation/ food vouchers and
translation costs.

KFR collects unwanted furniture and white goods from around Wiltshire and Swindon to refurbish and
make available to people on low incomes who have no other means to purchase essential household
items. It works alongside other organisations in the county to provide these goods, supporting the
homeless, victims of domestic violence, disabled people and those in severe poverty. This funding was
specifically for its Crisis Fund, which provides goods free of charge to people in immediate need.

Alabare was awarded this grant for the installation of CCTV at its night shelter for rough sleepers in
Trowbridge, The Haven. During the pandemic, night shelters needed to provide 24/7 accommodation
and the Haven enabled nine rough sleepers to access some of the basic facilities we all take for
granted in order to stay safe during a pandemic. However, due to chaotic lifestyles, addictions and
poor mental health, clients can often negatively affect their own safety and that of their fellow
residents. CCTV can support staff to intervene before a situation escalates or provide better
information about high-risk behaviour and how best to manage it, and it can also act as a deterrent.