Safer Streets

6 July 2023

In July 2022, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley secured £151,569.97 of grant funding through round four of the Home Office’s Safer Streets funding programme to respond to youth-related ASB across the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Bracknell Forest, and Wokingham Borough.

In Wokingham, there are three streams of intervention being delivered by Berkshire Youth in partnership with The Wayz. These are as follows:

1.  Detached youth work and community engagement – this intervention takes place on Friday evenings for seven hours a week, with an increased presence during the school holidays. Locations where youth-related ASB is a concern have been identified in collaboration with key partners from Wokingham Borough Council, Parish Councils and Thames Valley Police, with a particular focus on having a presence at The Elms, Twyford and SuperBowl.
2.  Mentoring and diversion activity – this intervention takes place for four hours a week, with increased hours during the school holidays. The provision can be accessed by up to 14 young people who have been identified as vulnerable and involved in ASB or other forms of low level criminality, with a referral pathway agreed with Wokingham Borough Council, schools and behaviour leads from across the Borough. The diversion activity provided includes boxing and kickboxing at BXGFIT.
3.  The creation of safe and inclusive spaces for young people informed by consultation with young people and supported by youth work provision – this intervention takes place on Wednesday evenings in Twyford and at SuperBowl. Berkshire Youth have an allocated space for young people to meet, play pool and bowling at SuperBowl, with a second offer available at Twyford Youth Club.

This work is funded until 30 September 2023. If you have any questions, or would like further information please email Gareth Mepham: gareth@thewayzyouth.co.uk.