Worksop will receive £289,992 of new funding from the latest £50 million round of the Conservative Government’s Safer Streets Fund. The extra funding will go towards police forces, councils and community groups – providing extra CCTV and streetlighting, protecting women and girls, and tackling neighbourhood crime.
The fourth round brings the total awarded through the Safer Streets Fund and the Safety of Women at Night Fund to £125million and £840,000 directly to Worksop. This is why I welcome the additional £289,992 on top of the £550,000 we received last year.
This additional funding will go towards measures proven to cut crime, including extra CCTV and streetlighting in communities alongside engagement work to change attitudes and behaviours to prevent crimes being committed. Worksop will also see a pilot project including wardens patrolling the town centre.
The Safer Streets Fund builds on the Conservative Government’s existing measures to keep our streets safe. Including: almost 14,000 more police officers recruited across England and Wales, increasing police funding to almost £17 billion, and preventing 49,000 violent offences across England and Wales since 2019 through Violence Reduction Units - protecting the public and breaking the cycle of crime.
No one should feel afraid while walking the streets of Worksop, yet for so many people, particularly women and girls, feeling uncomfortable or even unsafe in public spaces has become an all-too-common occurrence.
It has been one year since Home Secretary Priti Patel launched the dedicated violence against women and girls strategy and in that year she has visited Worksop in May 2022 and has overseen incredible work to support victims, prevent violence against women and girls, protect citizens and deliver justice.
This essential work with specialist groups is delivering practical support and change for women and girls across our communities and the Safer Streets Fund continues to make a difference to the safety of those in our community.
Finally this week, I want to say a huge thank you to our Fire and Rescue Service. Many of us will have seen the huge smoke clouds coming the tyre fire in Ranskill and the sheer scale of the blaze meant Fire and Rescue Services from neighbouring areas also needed to be sent out to assist. Another big thank you also goes to the local residents who kindly provided ice creams for those working on the scene. It’s at times like this that we are even more grateful for those whose bravery we rely upon to keep us safe.
