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Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership

Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES)

Our Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES)  is focused on giving young people in the areas which have seen the highest levels of violence and the biggest cuts to youth services access to better opportunities to prevent them getting involved in trouble.

Empowerment

We know that by investing in our young people, by giving them engaging, positive, fun opportunities, we can prevent them from going down the wrong path, keep them safe and help them to reach their full potential.

Through the Youth Empowerment Scheme, Merseyside’s Police Commissioner and Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) are saying YES to brighter futures for young people across our region.

The Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) was first launched in May 2024 with the aim of unlocking the potential of thousands of young people across the region by providing safe, positive opportunities.

For the second year running, Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, and the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) have launched the scheme, offering £472,680 for projects focused on preventing serious violence by creating brighter futures for young people across Merseyside.

The money is focused in areas of Merseyside which have seen the highest levels of violence and the biggest cuts to youth services, with the aim of keeping young people safe and supported and helping to steer them away from trouble.

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.

Youth Empowerment Scheme logo - unlocking potential

Projects can run throughout the year, with a focus on times when issues can traditionally increase, such as during the summer holidays and the autumn half term when young people are not in school and there may be little for them to do.

young people jumping in the air
net with young people in the background

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