West Yorkshire community groups to share £1m seized from criminals

Tracy Brabin said the money was going to "fantastic" people working to improve West Yorkshire

More than £1m recovered from criminals has been awarded to 68 organisations in West Yorkshire.

The money comes from the West Yorkshire Mayor's Safer Communities Fund Awards and is financed by money and assets confiscated from convicted criminals.

The community groups work to either tackle violence or hate crime, or to support the victims of crime.

Mayor Tracy Brabin said the fund had given almost £2.5m in total to groups working to make West Yorkshire safer.

"Every area of the county has groups of absolutely fantastic people who put their time and effort into making where they live better or helping people in need, and I am very thankful we are able to support them with these grants," she said.

One of the charities to benefit is Bradford-based Step 2, which received more than £16,000.

The organisation works with young people and its chief executive Liz Robinson said the money would make a difference.

"It will allow us to do some really good work with some young women with learning disabilities who are really vulnerable and we want to help them with self esteem and confidence and help them to have really positive relationships."

'Tremendous satisfaction'

Rob Balfour, chief executive of Ben's Place, said its award would help with a 12-month project to provide a therapy programme for male university students "who identify as survivors of sexual violence".

The organisation works to support male survivors of abuse and Mr Balfour said the new project would work in partnership with Leeds Beckett University's counselling department to try and meet students' needs faster "with access to more psychological support resources including one-to-one counselling and group workshop".

West Yorkshire Police's Chief Constable John Robins said officers in the forces Economic Crime Unit "work hard" to seize criminals' assets to ensure "crime does not pay".

"Knowing that funds they have stripped from those that do harm to communities is put to good use through the Mayor's Safer Communities Fund brings tremendous satisfaction," he added.