October 2023: Essex Knife Bins
There are 16 knife bins in towns and cities across our county where you can safely deposit knives and other bladed articles. They are funded jointly by the VVU, Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Essex Police. The knife bins are available so the public can deposit knives and other weapons safely and are […]
Outreach at the Olive Academy (Oct 2023)
We’d like to share with you the success of one of the projects the VVU has recently supported with funding. The Olive Academy in Thurrock offers alternative education provision for young people who have been excluded from secondary school. Schools can refer into the Academy. This is the only provision of its type in Thurrock […]
Learning Outdoors with the Respect Project (Sept 2023)
We were invited by Essex Boys and Girls Clubs to attend their outdoor learning facility at Layer Marney Tower in Essex and meet a group of young people who were possible candidates for the Respect Project. The Respect Project, is a targeted programme that supports students who are struggling with mainstream education within identified schools. […]
Young care leavers supported by community grant
We wanted to share the success of one of the projects we helped fund with the 2022 / 23 community grant. Open Door, based in Grays, received a £20,000 grant, with matched funding of £8,516, to assist young people who are leaving care to establish a safe and happy life in a different world to […]
Being inspired at Kids Inspire
The VVU team recently dropped in on a Kids Inspire supporter day to hear an update on the fantastic work the charity does. We support Kids Inspire through our Violence & Vulnerability secondary prevention work stream by funding their whole-family therapeutic support programme ‘Healing Connections’. The funding enables Kids Inspire to deliver a targeted countywide […]
Southend: Supporting young people with safe spaces
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to YMCA Southend, who we have recently funded through our community grant fund to provide support to young people in the city. In our recent Listening Report we spoke to more than 1500 young people about their biggest fears and what makes them feel safe. The young people from Southend […]
