Organisations providing domestic abuse or sexual violence support services across County Durham and Darlington throughout the COVID-19 Crisis, are urged to apply for emergency funding allocated by the Ministry of Justice to Steve White, Durham Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner.

The £214,000 of additional funding is part of the Ministry of Justice’s package of support for local organisations supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence throughout the COVID-19 Crisis. It is available for the period from 24 March to the 31st October 2020, to cover additional costs that have incurred or will incur whilst adapting their services, and to cope with demand. It is ring-fenced into three pots:

• Domestic abuse services that are already commissioned by the PCVC £107,000;

• Domestic abuse services that are not currently commissioned by the PCVC £53,500;

• Sexual violence services that are already commissioned by PCVC and also those that are not currently funded by the PCC £53,500.

Distribution of the allocated funding to those already commissioned by the Police Crime and Victims’ Commissioner is underway and he is now asking for those who aren’t already funded to apply for a share of the remaining of funding.

The funding will help organisations that have incurred extra costs as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic including:

• Short term financial loss as a result of not being able to maintain income generation activities or delays in grant applications

• Extra costs involved in adapting service delivery in order to maintain support during the current circumstances

• Increases in demand

Steve White Acting Durham Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner said: “It is good that nationally there has been an acknowledgement that our key support organisations need additional funding to adapt to providing their services in the current challenging environment.”

“Lockdown has meant that our response to domestic abuse has needed to adapt and evolve. This is why it is vitally important that these services are able to continue their valuable work throughout the COVID-19 Crisis and beyond.”

“Whilst we waited for this funding to be available I have been supporting local delivery of services where I was able to. I have been most impressed at the innovations and determination which support services have shown in order to adapt to deliver their support services to some of our most vulnerable victims.”

“Applications can come from organisations of any size, including small specialist organisations that support particular groups such as BAME, disabled or LGBTQ+ victims. I urge any organisation looking to make a bid to get in touch with my office without delay, as we have been set a very short deadline 1st June 2020 for applications.”

To be eligible, organisations must meet the following criteria:

• Delivering services to support victims of domestic abuse or sexual violence in County Durham and Darlington.

• The organisations must be a registered charity, a charitable incorporated organisation, or a social enterprise, including companies limited by guarantee and community interest companies in England and Wales

• The organisation must be able to provide evidence that they deliver tailored support services to help victims of domestic abuse and/or sexual violence cope with the impacts of crime, and, as far as possible, recover from the harm they have experienced.

• The organisations must be able to demonstrate that the funding will be used to address costs associated with COVID 19 disruption from 24 March 2020 (the first day of lockdown) and the 31 October (no further funding will be available beyond this date).

The deadline for applications is midnight on the 1st June 2020. For full details of the funding criteria and how to apply, please contact Dr Verna Fee, Policy and Projects Manager for Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, by telephone on 07971 334539 or email verna.fee@durham.pcc.pnn.gov.uk