Merseyside youth programmes recieve £472,680 boost from Merseyside Police scheme

More than 10,000 young people across Merseyside are set to benefit from a major investment in grassroots youth initiatives this summer and beyond.

This week, 27 local organisations have found out their application for a share of a £472,680 funding grant has been successful, as the game-changing Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES Fund) returns for a second time.

From drama and creative writing programmes to help teenagers in some of Merseyside’s most deprived areas express themselves and avoid negative influences, to football, boxing and tennis training, to mental health outreach, forest schools and sessions that improve employment opportunities, the successful projects span all five boroughs of Merseyside, with a focus on the areas most affected by violence and cuts to youth services.

One successful project, set to be delivered by the Florrie in L8, is even offering young people the chance to transform a community barge into a floating youth hub on Liverpool’s canals, building relationships and reducing isolation.

Jointly funded by the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, and the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP), this year’s round of YES funding follows a successful 2024/25 programme which supported 30 projects to reach more than 11,600 young people with free, safe, and engaging activities during key times of the year, including the summer holidays and autumn half term.

Through one-off grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 the YES Fund is set up to divert young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour.

It will also play a key role in supporting the wider Government-backed Safer Streets Summer campaign, creating safer public spaces, reducing tensions in communities, whilst offering alternatives to those at risk of being drawn into criminality.

Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:

“The YES Fund is a powerful example of how we can work together to create real, lasting change in our communities.

“By supporting grassroots organisations that know their neighbourhoods best, we’re giving young people the chance to access safe spaces, build confidence, and develop the skills they need to succeed.

“This funding isn’t just about preventing crime; it’s about investing in potential.

“Every one of these 27 projects offers something unique, whether it’s creative expression, sports, mentoring, or mental health support. Together, they form a network of opportunity that will help thousands of young people across Merseyside make positive choices and feel proud of where they live.

“I’m incredibly proud of this initiative and to see the energy, innovation, and compassion that our communities continue to show in supporting our young people and with the support of these brilliant grassroots organisations, we are making Merseyside a safer, more inclusive place to live.”

YES Fund 2025/26 – Successful Applicants

Act for Action Knowsley (St Michaels) – Safeguarding and safety programme for 30 disabled young people aged 14–25 – £5,275
Centre 63 Knowsley (Whitefield) – Theatre and film project to improve mental health and cohesion – £24,346
Evolving Mindset CIC Knowsley (Prescot North) – Mental health and personal development for at-risk youth – £24,010
L14 Community House Knowsley (Page Moss) – Courses promoting employment, volunteering, and cohesion – £24,724
Alfie’s Squad Liverpool (City Centre South) – Summer and October half-term activities for children and young people – £13,444
Beautiful New Beginnings Liverpool (West Derby) – Mental health and diversionary activities for ages 11–18 – £11,275
Blue River Support Services Liverpool (Toxteth) – Clean Brake: trauma-informed youth cycling and skills programme – £15,000
Methodist Centre Liverpool (Aigburth) – Ride & Rise: diversion project for BME youth in Toxteth – £9,404
Norris Green Community Alliance Liverpool (Norris Green) – Early intervention play work for children aged 6–13 – £18,840
Pars Community Liverpool (City Centre North) – Create & Connect: youth empowerment and violence prevention – £25,000
The Florence Institute Trust Liverpool (Dingle) – Steer Your Future: floating youth hub with arts and wellbeing – £20,350
The Lodge Wellness Centre Liverpool (West Derby Deysbrook) – Trauma-informed wellness workshops for vulnerable youth – £23,990
Walton Youth Project Liverpool (County) – Youth intervention programme for those at risk of crime/gang involvement – £24,312
Windows Project Liverpool (Brownlow Hill) – Rewrite the Streets: creative writing and spoken word for at-risk teens – £6,306
Autism Ventures Sefton (Cambridge) – Empowering autistic youth through enterprise and life skills – £9,132
Community By Nature Sefton (Linacre) – Forest-school arts project for early intervention – £24,932
Conquer Life CIC Sefton (Linacre) – Expanded VIBE youth engagement and wellbeing programme – £14,071
Parenting 2000 Sefton (Duke’s) – 919 Alchemy: boxing and football to build self-belief – £24,917
VENUS Sefton (Netherton and Orrell) – Creative, therapeutic, and diversionary activities for youth – £20,348
Waterloo Hotshots CIC Sefton (Linacre) – Tennis and boxing holiday clubs for local youth – £6,500
Ykids Sefton (Linacre) – Outreach and diversionary activities from Strand Shopping Centre – £24,600
Digital Arts Box CIC St. Helens (Moss Bank) – Digital arts and wellbeing programme for vulnerable youth – £25,000
Park Farm ACYP Centre St. Helens (Moss Bank) – Youth and afterschool clubs with arts, sports, and wellbeing – £24,730
Powered By Hip Hop CIC St. Helens (Town Centre) – Free creative and movement-based activities for youth – £7,189
Behind Bars Calisthenics Academy CIC Wirral (Bidston and St James) – GRIT: 8-month diversionary and wellbeing programme – £5,600
Future Yard CIC Wirral (Birkenhead and Tranmere) – Young Futures: early intervention for youth at risk of violence – £16,580
Utopia Project CIC Wirral (Birkenhead and Tranmere) – Thrive Project: wellbeing support for neurodivergent youth – £22,805