Date
On 31 October, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin visited the 1st Saltney Ferry Scout Group to learn more about the Scouts’ work and activities and to see how money taken from criminals is being used for the good of the young people by enabling them to go camping and enjoy the Great Outdoors.
The Your Community, Your Choice fund supports grass-roots projects and is backed by the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) and North Wales Police. The funding for Your Community, Your Choice comes partly from money seized by the courts through the Proceeds of Crime Act, with the rest from the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Saltney Ferry Scouts section runs weekly meetings, a large number of activities, and camps for boys and girls aged from 10 to 14 years. They meet every Friday evening at Bradshaw Avenue in Saltney Ferry. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the group has seen a massive uptake in participation in the area, growing from around 80 young people to nearly 150, many from disadvantaged backgrounds. The funding from Your Community, Your Choice has enabled the purchase of a premium outdoor mess tent together with six outdoor toilet tents and other camping related equipment.
While at the site, the PCC met the Group leaders, young people of all ages involved in the Group and their parents. He also invested two new Beavers and presented badges to three Cubs.
James Reynolds, Group Lead Volunteer, Saltney Ferry Scout Group, said: “We are pleased the PCC was able to visit us and very grateful for the funding we received. Without grants such as this we would struggle to provide the opportunities we do for the young people of Saltney Ferry and surrounding areas in Flintshire. With this grant we are able to invest in new equipment that we would not be able to afford otherwise. We are now in a position where we can replace important camping equipment and can continue to provide new, exciting and adventurous experiences for our Scouts!”
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: “Scouting is a great activity for young people to gain skills that will stay with them throughout their lives, something I know well from my own time as a Scout in the Deeside area as a child.
“I was delighted to see how Saltney Ferry Scouts have invested the Your Community, Your Choice funding in enriching the experiences of young people in Saltney Ferry, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Supporting communities is a key priority for me and I am pleased to see organisations like this doing their bit to help their neighbours and fellow citizens.”
PACT Chairman Ashley Rogers stated: “Your Community, Your Choice is making a difference to organisations and communities across North Wales and Saltney Ferry Scouts are a great example of this in action. The equipment that the group has purchased will enable the young people to experience camping and outdoor life and many of the activities we associate with Scouting. I am delighted we have been able to support them in their project.”
North Wales Police T/Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said: “Your Community, Your Choice is an excellent example of how we can turn money made from criminal activity into a positive outcome for organisations and neighbourhoods across North Wales. Saltney ferry Scouts identified a project that would make a difference for their young people and it’s great to see their plans come to fruition through the help of the fund.”
Your Community, Your Choice is celebrating its tenth anniversary throughout 2023 and, over the past ten years, a total of over £500,000 has been awarded to more than 150 projects working to reduce crime in their areas and to support the priorities in the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.
To learn more about PACT visit www.pactnorthwales.co.uk and to learn more about the work of the Office of the Police and crime Commissioner, visit www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk
For more information on Saltney Ferry Scouts visit: www.flintshirescouts.org.uk/saltney-ferry