Funding Available For Community Crime Prevention Groups

The Department of Justice is inviting applications for the Assets Recovery Community Scheme for funding aimed at preventing crime.

Voluntary and community sector organisations, registered charities, and statutory bodies delivering projects in community settings in Northern Ireland are all eligible to apply for the funding.

The Assets Recovery Community Scheme allows monies received from the payment of confiscation orders following a criminal confiscation to be diverted into community projects across Northern Ireland to support communities and individuals and address some of the harmful impacts from a wide range of crimes.

An Assets Recovery Community Scheme for 2021/2022 is open for applications from today. The Department of Justice is encouraging eligible groups to consider how to make best use of this year's interim funding and ensure that communities affected by crime can benefit.

Asset recovery is an integral part of the response to organised crime, it disrupts the activity of organised crime groups and individuals connected to them. Partners on the Organised Crime Task Force continue to prioritise asset recovery and bring forward confiscation cases to deprive criminals of their ill-gotten gains. The ARCS funding scheme helps the community make a direct link between operational action and the resulting benefits for those who suffer the most from the effects of organised crime.

Organisations seeking to bid to this year's £400,000 scheme must clearly demonstrate how they will prevent crime or reduce the fear of crime and directly benefit victims, communities or the environment. The application form and guidance notes can be found on the Department's website. The closing date for applications is Monday 13 September 2021 at 5pm.